AGITΏ: Warriors of Creation
by Kamen Rider Chrome
Summary: They say that humans have evolved too far for their own good. However, 5 lights of hope shine through. Kamen Rider Agito/WITCH crossover. Cowritten with Ten Faced Paladin.
1. The Mysterious Warrior

**AGITΏ: Warriors of Creation.**

Heatherfield was for all intents and purposes a pretty nice place to live. It had a lot of places where people could hang out for the various ages of people who had decided to make this place their home. It had a good school in the Sheffield Institute. The Silver Dragon Restaurant was one of the better known places to eat since it was know to have some pretty good food. Sure, the occasional odd thing happened in this town, but didn't every town have their own little oddities? Lots of people thought so or else they would have moved away a long time ago.

It was a beautiful spring day but today was a school day too so almost every kid in town was at school. The Sheffield Institute was no different. Today though, there would be some surprises waiting for the students. The biggest surprises though would come for five certain girls who were the Guardians of the Infinite Dimensions (formerly known as the Guardians of the Veil but since the Veil had been dropped a new title was given to the girls).

"All right, everyone!" Ms. Parker, their math teacher, called out to the students. The students began paying some attention to what the teacher was saying now. "I have an announcement to make today."

Now the students were paying attention, especially Irma Lair. She always was one who disliked being in this section of the school. The classes were always a pain. Anything that made the time with the teachers in this part of school go by faster was welcome to her. Daydreaming about Joel Wright sometimes wasn't enough.

"Now that I have your attention," Ms. Parker nodded. "We are going to have a new student joining us."

That got everyone's attention. Many students began wondering what kind of person this new student was. Taranee gave the thought a passing glance. She wanted to get to her math lessons already. She was having trouble with some problems with a few of the homework questions and she wanted to get the details hammered out.

Hay Lin entertained thoughts about the new student and took a marker out. If she wanted to remember his or her name then she would have to write them down or else she might end up insulting the newbie if she had to show him around but ended up forgetting his name.

Irma was a little excited to see the new student. Maybe the new student would be a cute boy. If she was lucky then he might ask her out, but she would have to consider it. Being cute definitely got you points, but being a nice guy got you a lot more.

Seeing that the class was paying attention and anticipating the arrival, Ms. Parker went to the door to welcome the new student in. Almost everyone in the classroom was leaning on their desks to try and see who was coming in.

He was DARK. He was wearing black clothes. Around his wrists were silver bracelets and leather wristbands. He wore a black t-shirt and jeans with equally black shoes. Silver necklaces were wrapped around his neck with gothic crosses on them. He had black hair which he had brushed to cover his eyes. Still, everyone could see his dark hazel eyes which seemed to have a hidden depth to them. His eyes looked like they could almost be red by the shade of brown they were. His posture was slouched and his hands were in his pockets. A backpack was slung over his shoulder where he was keeping his books.

"Why don't you introduce yourself," Ms. Parker spoke up.

The boy looked to the class and sighed before he started speaking, "My name is Adrian Carter," His voice sounded deep and mature. Some of the girls already liked the sound of it. "Beyond that, I don't think there's anything of interest about me."

The classroom had their usual amount of murmurs as they started talking about the new boy. Ms. Parker let them continue for a minute before she coughed to catch their attention.

"There," she nodded. "Now, you can sit in the free desk next to Ms. Lair. She's the short-haired brunette."

Irma immediately snapped to attention as she heard her name. Adrian looked to her and saw the empty desk. He gave a small nod of thanks towards his teacher before walking to the empty desk and sitting in it and putting his backpack on the ground. Irma waited for some kind of greeting, but Adrian didn't even take one look at her. His eyes were glued to the front of the room.

"All right, class," Ms. Parker spoke as she turned to the chalkboard. "We're going to begin by taking out yesterday's homework..."

* * *

The day continued and soon the lunch bell rang, releasing the gathered students for the brief time they needed to get something to eat so they could continue with their day. At one table, five girls in particular were eating together like they usually did.

"I heard there's a new guy in school," spoke short-haired redhead, Will Vandom.

"There is," confirmed the dark-skinned Taranee Cook as she munched on a sandwich. "A boy."

"Really?" asked the long-haired blonde, Cornelia Hale. "Is he cute?"

"Mn," the short-haired brunette, Irma Lair shrugged. "I guess so, but he's a complete Goth. Kinda creepy really."

"I think he's cool," the long-haired, oriental Hay Lin smiled. "He has his own thing going on. Dare to be different!"

"If he's so cool then why are you sitting with us and not talking with him?" asked Irma with a slight grin.

"I don't have a clue where he is," Hay Lin shrugged. "After Math class ended he was gone like a shot. I don't think his locker is near mine so I couldn't even catch him between classes."

"Where do you think he went?" asked Cornelia.

"Who knows," Taranee shrugged.

"Well, you guys can figure it out yourselves," Will shrugged. "I need to hit the little girls' room. I'll be back."

Will left the table and began walking to the school. She was rather relieved that things were finally calming down. After Elyon had ascended to the throne of Meridian, things had been tense for the Guardians for a while due to the conflicts created by Nerissa, a former Guardian who had fallen to the dark side. Cornelia had her heart broken when Caleb decided to stay in Meridian. She was in a bit of funk, well, until she had a slight interest in Taranee's brother Peter. Nothing serious, but enough for the other girls to tease her about it. That relationship did not last long as Cornelia and Caleb eventually patched things up and mended their relationship.

Dating, school, boys; it was something girls their age did all the time. It made them feel normal. At times like that they could almost forget that they were the newest generation of Guardians, had magic powers, and seen things that a lot of people in Heatherfield would never dream existed.

Will made her stop and came back outside through a side door since it was closer. As she was walking past a tree, she noticed someone was sitting on one of the thicker branches. Her first instinct said it was something weird again, but after a moment, she saw that it was just a fellow student who was lounging. Seeing as how he was very much a Goth, Will assumed that this was the new boy.

"Um...hello?" Will called up the tree. The person in black stirred and looked down to see Will.

"Can I help you?" he asked. He seemed barely polite with his words.

"Yeah," Will nodded. "You're the new guy, Adrian, right?"

"Adrian Carter," the Goth introduced. 'That's me. I doubt you'd find someone else dressed like me out here."

"Probably not," Will shrugged. "By the way, my name's Will. Will Vandom."

"Pleasure to meet you, Will," Adrian shrugged. "Can I help you with anything?"

"Not really," Will shrugged. "Just thought I'd be friendly and say hello. Seems like a nice thing to do anyway."

"Well, I appreciate the thought," Adrian sighed. He didn't sound very appreciative at all. "How'd you learn my name anyway?"

"Oh, my friend's Irma, Taranee, and Hay Lin have Math class with you," Will answered.

"Irma?" Adrian blinked. "Oh, the brunette. Right. So that's where you got my name."

"So, you want to eat with us?" Will asked. She may not be the most open person in the world, but the least she could do is give the new guy a chance to make some friends.

"I already ate," Adrian replied evenly. "Thanks for the offer."

Will frowned slightly at his tone of voice. He sounded so pessimistic! Well, maybe if his clothes were any indication, he had that attitude down like an art form. Shrugging her shoulders, she walked away with a wave goodbye. This left Adrian alone, just the way he preferred it.

Adrian though was thinking again. That Will girl was the first person who actually had enough nerve to actually talk to him. Granted, they were alone so there was no risk of social fallout happening. He had met girls her type, girls who had their own little social circles who they were dedicated too. Granted, some were a lot nicer than others, but they were terrible gossips. If he was seen in their group then either Will or her friends would be made into pariahs or people would start bugging him. Neither option was acceptable.

Adrian had his reasons for being alone. Some pretty good reasons if he thought so himself. He looked up to the branch above him and stared at the leaves on the branches. Several leaves then broke off from the branches and began shooting through the air like small jet fighters. They were moving in a straight line and there was no wind blowing to move the leaves. Adrian was doing it all with his mind. He's had the ability since he was young. It took a while to develop the ability though. It first appeared when he was younger when he managed to pull a toy car out of a hole that was three feet deep when he was five years old. His parents were thankfully understanding about his gift, but Adrian wasn't so sure the rest of the world would understand.

Adrian was pessimistic by nature. Now that didn't mean he didn't have his own hopes. You had to be a really messed up person if you had no hope. Adrian always held some hope for the best, but he knew things didn't always turn out that way so he would always steel himself for the worst no matter what he did. That way, when it turned out good, he was satisfied. When things went bad, he would get over it faster and fix it if he could.

As he brought the leaves into his hand with his telekinesis, his thoughts turned to Will again. He knew he couldn't develop a crush on her just by meeting her, but something in his gut seemed almost drawn to her. Now that she was gone, so was the feeling, but it was an unexpected sensation that jumped him when she was around. It was like something in his stomach was doing flip-flops. He had almost accepted her invitation when she asked him. He was lucky his mind still worked properly or else he would become the prey for who knows how many girls.

* * *

The bell rang again and the students reluctantly went back into the building. Gym class was next and it was something that Cornelia found that she liked. It wasn't like ice skating or anything that she felt she was spectacular at, but it was a definite challenge to make her gym clothes look stylish.

Looking over the large gym, she found that there was another class working alongside them. The girls' gym teacher informed them that they were going to be working alongside them. A few of the girls giggled as they saw some of the boys stretching. Cornelia didn't give the boys much of a glance.

Why? Well, she was now dating Caleb again. Things had been a bit rough between the two a few months ago. After Phobos had been defeated the first time and Elyon took her rightful place at the throne of Meridian, Caleb decided to stay. This made Cornelia angry as he had chosen Meridian over her! They then began to bicker and act hostile to one another when in fact they still shared some feelings. Things took a turn for the worse when Cornelia decided to date Peter, Taranee's brother, under the name 'Lillian' as Peter had seen her in her more grown up form. It wasn't until that fateful day at the skating rink that Cornelia realized who her heart belonged too.

"Okay, everyone!" Ms. Bane shouted, catching the girls' attention. "We'll be working with Mr. Gregor's class so all of you will be partnering up in groups as I number you off."

The teacher then began number off students in groups of five. Cornelia secretly hoped that she wouldn't be partnered up with some dork.

Soon, she was numbered as '4' and went off to gather with her fellow team mates in team 4. Overall, she was grouped with some boys and some girls she didn't know al that well. One person that caught her eye was a boy with black hair. From what Will told her and the others when they came back, this was that new Adrian boy.

'_Well, he seems pretty cute outside his Goth stuff,_' Cornelia observed. '_Definite potential._'

As usual, her sense of fashion came up to the surface when she met someone new. She personally had nothing against Goths beyond their weird looks. They were a complete crime against fashion in her opinion.

"May I ask why you're looking at me like you're dissecting a frog or something?" Adrian asked irritably.

"Huh?" Cornelia blinked. She had been staring too long. "Oh. I just figured that you're that new guy, Adrian."

"You must be friends with Will," Adrian commented.

"How'd you know?" Cornelia blinked.

"She's the only one who introduced herself to me," Adrian shrugged as he gazed lazily looked to where the two teachers were talking.

The two teachers suddenly called out for the students to pay attention before they called for a basketball game to begin. Huffing in annoyance, Cornelia and her team took to the court against team 1, with more people she didn't know and Adrian.

The game began and soon Cornelia was huffing and puffing to keep up. She wasn't out of shape by any means. She just wasn't fit for sports.

Adrian on the other hand, seemed perfectly fine. He was tearing up the court. Cornelia silently added 'athletic' to the list of things she now knew about the new guy.

Adrian lined up for a long shot and tossed the ball for the net. Cornelia saw the ball land against the rim and she was sorely tempted to use her telekinesis to give the ball a little nudge into the hoop. However, it seemed the ball didn't need it as it fell straight through.

Adrian smirked as the ball fell in. Sure, he knew that what he just did could be considered cheating, but he needed the practice of his powers and there was no guarantee that the ball wasn't going to go in anyway.

Best of all, no one was the wiser.

* * *

Sam Hayner was not one whom people called extraordinary. He was rather plain and he didn't like to stand out. He was generic looking with jeans, a long-sleeved shirt and a single hat on his head.

Lately though, things were acting really weird around him. Whenever games of chance would show up, he would be able to predict the outcome. Granted, he still got it wrong sometimes, but the result was so close to his prediction that his answer could have been mistaken for what was the result. His accuracy was slowly getting better too. Sam figured that he would be able to get down perfectly before too long.

Sam walked through a parking lot as he made his way back home from work. He just wanted to get home to rest. It had been a stressful day and he was looking forward to sitting down.

"_I wouldn't count on that_," a raspy voice spoke.

Sam immediately turned around and found himself facing a wall of black. He then felt something bury itself inside of his chest. He couldn't even scream because it had hurt so much. It wasn't long before the poor man passed out from it all.

The dark figure pulled his hand out of Sam and didn't even leave a blemish or rippled clothes. In his hand was a shining light which would have blinded a lot of people who would look at it.

The figure didn't seem affected by the light before he clenched it in his hand. The light immediately died down before reigniting as a deep purple glow. Satisfied that it worked, the figure kneeled down to Sam before sticking the purple glowing object back into his chest.

Sam's body began to convulse as purple smoke began to engulf him. The dark figure stepped back as the process began. A hissing sound began come from the smoke as two yellow eyes could be seen from within the smoke.

"_Rise, my Otiga,_" the figure chuckled. "_You are the first in my army of perfection. You will serve me well._"

* * *

Cornelia wiped the sweat off her brow as she looked at the score. So far during the whole game, Adrian had scored a perfect basket for their team each time. She had to admit that he was good at what he did. If only he wasn't so cold then maybe he could be considered someone cool to hang out with.

As Adrian lined up for another basket, suddenly he felt a pulse in his head. It caused him to drop the ball as the pulsing grew louder and constant. He grabbed his head and fell to his knees, howling in pain. The windows of the gym also began to crack and then they shattered. Students scrambled to safety screaming in confusion as to what was happening. The raining glass made everyone immediately run for cover. Adrian was still on his knees, clutching his head. The pain going through his whole head was unbearable. He tried to endure it but the more he tried the more it came. It was like a broken dam and there was no failsafe.

"Adrian!" Cornelia cried as she ran over to the boy. He was still crying out and holding his head. The social-wise blonde grabbed Adrian's shoulders and got him to his feet before dragging him over to the wall where the glass hadn't showered hard.

"Just what was that?" Cornelia asked herself.

Adrian just continued to clutch his head and groan in pain.

* * *

The darkened figure and what was deemed an Otiga, still in the black smoke, turned their heads as they felt a pulse.

"_Hm… a potential,_" the figure pondered. He then turned to the Otiga. "_I have your first mission. You are to find this potential and destroy it. If you see any other potentials like this one, destroy them as well._"

The Otiga nodded and growled before it leaped from the smoke and into the distance. It had moved too fast for anyone to see. The figure snickered as he waked away. He still had many things to do and NO ONE would stand in his way.

* * *

"So _all_ the windows in the gym were destroyed?" asked Irma with some amazement.

"For the third time: YES!" Cornelia snapped.

It was now after school hours and the girls were meeting up at the Silver Dragon restaurant that Yan Lin, Hay Lin's grandmother and the former Guardian of Air, ran. Business was slow for the moment so Hay Lin was able to sit with her friends and talk.

"So Adrian was clutching his head and screaming," Taranee muttered to himself. "Do you think that he might have had something to do with it?"

"Well, duh," Irma snickered. "He starts freaking out and suddenly the windows crash wide open? I'd say so."

"What happened after that anyway?" asked Will.

"Well, after a few minutes, he began to calm down," Cornelia recalled. "But he seemed a little freaked out. He took one look at me and backed away. He wouldn't go near anyone. It was like he was scared of the contact."

"Well that obviously means he has an idea about what happened," Taranee commented.

"Think we should confront him?" asked Hay Lin.

"I don't think we should," said Will. "I mean, it sounds like he knew what happened, but not _why_ it happened. If we go at him about it then he might snap again."

"And then who knows what he'll break after that," Irma shivered. She didn't fancy getting battered like the windows were.

"Now, come on!" Hay Lin argued. "How could he have done it? He'd have to have superpowers or something."

The other four Guardians stared plainly at Hay Lin. The oriental girl sweatdropped before laughing slightly. She of all people should have known that a lot of things were more than they seemed.

"Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I have homework to do," Taranee sighed as she stood up.

"Ditto," Will mumbled sadly. "Mr. Rydinger likes to lay it down hard."

"I guess the meeting is adjourned then," Irma shrugged.

"Still, I wonder if he's okay," Hay Lin pondered as she got up with her friends. "From what Corny said, he sounded like he was in a lot of pain."

"Don't call me that!" Cornelia huffed angrily.

The girls said their goodbyes to Yan Lin before exiting the restaurant. They began walking down the streets towards their houses. Heatherfield was in a magic moment that was between the day life and the night life. The streets were relatively calm for the time being.

* * *

The Otiga was on the prowl. It had been ordered to hunt down the potential it and its master had sensed earlier. It had been traveling on rooftops all day, but there hadn't been another pulse all day so finding the potential was getting harder.

As it stopped for a moment close to an intersection, it began to feel something. It quickly grew excited at the sensation. A potential had to be close by!

Peering down to the streets from its angle, the Otiga began searching for the source of the sensation. Looking around, it saw nothing of interest. Then, it noticed five girls turning a corner and walking down the street in front of it.

All of the girls had the sensation in them. It was faint in four of them, but the full sensation was radiating from the red-haired one. The sensation was getting stronger as the girls got closer. There was no doubt about it. These girls just had to be potentials.

Only a small part of the Otiga's mind registered that the sensation wasn't quite the same as the one it had felt earlier. The rest of the Otiga's mind squashed that thought down by saying that they were closer to it now.

* * *

Adrian threw his book bag across the room before collapsing onto the bed. After what happened in the gym, he decided to keep his distance from everyone, pushing them away again. He could not risk it. He had been checked by the school nurse since he complained about a headache but nothing to warrant as an excuse to return home early. Then again, what would he say? '_Hey, by the way, you should send me home quick so I don't end up blowing people up._' He rolled his eyes. Yeah, that would be a conversation he would like to have.

" Adrian?" he heard a female voice call and he turned his head towards the door.

"Yeah, mom?" he asked. "What do you want?" he didn't mean to be so cold but after what happened, it was safer if she kept her distance. His mother entered and frowned sadly.

"You just came in and up to your room without a word. Not even a hello," his mother said. "What happened?"

He turned away, "Nothing."

"I'm your mother, young man," she spoke firmly, "And I know that it's not 'nothing' as you claim."

Adrian sighed. Somehow, his mother could find out what was bothering him. He then confessed, "I lost control."

"Oh," she realized.

"Mom, I could've hurt everyone in the gym when I made the windows shatter!" he shouted, looking at her. "Don't just say 'oh'!"

Adrian's mother shook her head, "What else am I supposed to say, Adrian? It wasn't your fault. You lost control."

"I don't belong with normal people, mom," he said. "I should just be sent away and locked up where I can't hurt anybody! I'm just a freak!"

"Don't you dare say that!" Adrian's mother raised her voice. He was shocked but then he was surprised again when she wrapped him in a hug. "You're not a freak. You're our son. Our little Addy."

Addy…their nickname for him when he used to be small. He had outgrown it but they still called him that sometimes. He could feel her tears so he delicately wrapped his arms around her, "I'm sorry, mom."

His mother pulled away, smiling. "I'll get you a treat. I just baked a chocolate cake that's heavy on the chocolate…DARK chocolate, just the way you like it."

"Thanks, mom," Adrian said before she left the room. He could smell the aroma and…

His eyes widened as he clutched his head again. The pulsing was back! He gritted his teeth, trying to not cry out in pain. He rolled around in his bed, trying to keep the pain in or else he'd destroy the house. His window swung open and he fell off the bed with a thud. Something…was calling him…something was calling out to him…He took a single look at his window and stood up, walking towards it.

His mom came in a few minutes later to see that he was gone.

* * *

To say the girls were sufficiently spooked would be an understatement. They had just been walking back to their neighborhood when all of a sudden, something big crashed onto the sidewalk in front of them.

The creature itself definitely wouldn't win any beauty contests. It was donned head to toe in reflective black armor that looked like a beetle's carapace. Its chest was covered with segmented plates which would allow it movement. Its legs were donned in the same black armor and it was spiked at the joints. It likewise had spikes on the joints of its arms and razor sharp claws. Its face was insect-like with two narrow eyes and a large horn jutting from its head. It was hissing wildly. An odd thing was the silver belt that was wrapped around its waist. It had a dull-looking crystal embedded in the centre as well.

"Ew!" Cornelia shrieked. "What is that?!"

"It's ugly that's what it is!" Hay Lin cried.

The creature didn't seem to take kindly to the insult and hissed angrily. It raised its claws and charged at the girls with murderous intent.

"Look out!" Irma cried as the five girls managed to evade the strike.

All five of them were now circled around the creature as it looked wildly around, as if trying to decide which one of them to try and take out first. Will had no intention of letting it try without a fight. She pulled out the Heart of Kandrakar and held it high, letting the energies that inhabited it begin working.

"Guardians, Unite!" she cried loudly, releasing the ancient energies.

Will, Irma, Taranee, Cornelia, and Hay Lin were engulfed in the ancient energies which were infused in them. The Otiga was blinded by the five simultaneous flashes of light and struggled to get its sight back. As the light died down, the girls reappeared, but they had changed.

"Fire!"

"Water!"

"Earth!"

"Air!"

"Quintessence!"

Each girl was now donned in their Guardian outfits which each had the common theme of blue, purple and green. Another noticeable change was that the girls appeared to have aged as well. Rather than the fourteen or fifteen year olds they were before, they looked like they were all seventeen or eighteen. Each girl likewise had a pair of wings on their backs which gave them all the appearance of fairies.

The Otiga hissed angrily as it got its sight back and saw the girls. Now it knew they just HAD to be potentials. They could change their forms!

"Time to squash a bug!" Taranee grinned as she summoned fireballs to her hands.

"Sounds good to me!" Irma agreed with a predatory grinned.

The Otiga snarled before it lunged for Will, who had the strongest sensation in it mind. The red-headed guardian fluttered her wings and took to the sky. The other Guardians followed their leader and likewise went to the air to try and get a better view of their foe.

"Ideas?" asked Hay Lin.

"Just smash it and see what happens!" Cornelia cried as dove down for the ground again.

The Otiga watched the Guardian of Earth coming down for an assault. It would have snorted in amusement if it could. Letting its legs tense, it took a leap at Cornelia with its claws outstretched, ready to tear her apart.

Not expecting the power of the leap, Cornelia was caught by surprise, "Yow!"

She was able to get out of the way, but the Otiga kept going upward toward the other Guardians.

"Scatter!" Will cried as she and the other Guardians flew off in different directions.

Eventually, the Otiga began to fall back to earth. Taranee took her chance for an attack and hurled a large fireball at her foe in hopes of damaging it. The Otiga witnessed the attack coming and turned its back to her. The fireball came and made impact against the shell, but it seemed to slide off as it made impact and continue flying in a new direction before fizzing out.

"What the-?!" Taranee gasped.

"So…we can't crack the black stuff covering it?" asked Hay Lin.

"But it's almost covered in that stuff!" Irma cried hotly.

"Then we go for the silver parts!" Cornelia grinned as she landed on the ground. She planted he hands on the ground before concentrating.

The street began to rumble as chunks of concrete broke from the ground and flew threw the air towards the Otiga. The creature was preparing to land when it saw the chunks of stone coming. It was caught by surprise so it wasn't able to turn again. The stone chunks made impact against its chest, earning a sharp squeal of pain as it crashed to the ground.

"All right, Cornelia!" Taranee cheered. She and the other Guardians flew to the ground

"Aw, he wasn't that tough," Cornelia smirked, obviously happy over the victory.

Another hiss told her she spoke to soon. The five Guardians turned to see the Otiga getting back onto its feet and glaring at them with what looked like utmost hatred.

Knowing that it might need a weapon now, the Otiga raised its hands and slammed them onto the sides of its belt. A purple light erupted from the dull crystal. Something about that light made the girls start feeling uneasy. It was like the light wasn't meant to be like that. From the purple depths, a long black and silver spear came out and into the waiting hands of the Otiga. The tip was liked like it was jagged and the same shape of the Otiga's horn.

"What the heck?!" Irma cried. "Where did he get that thing from?!"

"Okay, it looks like things are a little tougher than we thought," Cornelia gulped.

The Otiga hissed loudly and pointed the spear at the girls before stabbing the weapon into the ground. Cracks erupted in the ground and headed straight for the girls. Before any of them could react, the ground beneath them erupted. Dirt and stone pelted them and sent them all sprawling.

Irma coughed to get some dust out of her throat and she looked around to see if her friends were okay. She spotted Will and Hay Lin face down on the ground to her left. Cornelia and Taranee were groaning, but seemed to be okay. Lastly, she looked to see where their opponent had gone.

She got her answer when a large armored foot slammed down in front of her face. She looked up and saw the Otiga staring down at her. Its spear was raised and looked ready to be plunged into her back. It was about to but then it froze as it stared at something up ahead. It then spoke for the first time and said, "A…Gi…To…"

All the Guardians were rather surprised at the Otiga suddenly stopping its assault. They had heard the whisper reverberate from the back of its throat. Of course, Irma wasn't one to kick a gift horse in the mouth as she squirmed away from the Otiga.

"Agito?" asked Hay Lin as she helped Will to her feet. "What's an Agito?"

"You're asking us?" asked Cornelia sarcastically.

Irma managed to get back to her feet when he noticed something moving behind her friends. Once she was properly on her feet, she got a good look at who was coming.

"I'm guessing **that's** an Agito," Irma spoke as she pointed behind her friends.

The girls turned to see where the Guardian of Water was pointing and found themselves surprised. Walking calmly towards the battle was a figure donned in black armor that highlighted at points with silver. At first the girls thought that he was another one of the things they were fighting, but that thought was squashed when they saw that it was actual armor and not carapace.

He was wearing a mostly black bodysuit with black torso armor, shoulder guards, kneepads, gauntlets and boots. However, silver highlighted the different sections, revealing how well the armor accented his body, revealing him to be well toned and obviously strong. The sides of the armor were all silver. Around his waist was a belt similar to the Otiga's, but this one had a bright shining crystal in the centre. A silver rectangular stone rested in the centre of his chest. His face was covered with a black helmet that had a silver mouth guard. There were also two pointed horns sticking up from the front. The only thing that wasn't either silver or black on this new arrival was the large red eyes his helmet sported.

This…was Shadow Agito

"Who is _that_?" Taranee blinked.

"Don't know, don't care at the moment," Irma frowned. Just by being there, this new arrival had managed to save her life.

"AAAAAGIIIITTOOOOOOO!!" the beast roared, snapping the girls back to reality.

The Otiga dashed forward with its spear raised, ready to put the new arrival down. The Guardians prepared to fire some of their elements at it when it completely ignored them and continued running towards Shadow Agito.

"Does anyone else feel completely blown off?" asked Cornelia with some annoyance.

"There's no way he can take that thing alone!" Will cried as she began to follow the Otiga. "He'll need help!"

The Otiga lunged with its weapon, but Shadow sidestepped the blow before retaliating with a punch to the side, which caused the Otiga to groan in pain. The monster in question tried to swing its spear around, but Shadow moved under it as he came back up and lay down several punches across the Otiga's face with enough force to actually send it stumbling back.

Meanwhile, the Guardians were somewhat stunned to see the creature that was giving them trouble being beaten snotless through the thorough beating it was receiving.

"Uh…you sure he needs our help, Will?" asked Hay Lin.

The redhead in question could only watch in amazement with her fellow Guardians.

The Otiga managed to get some space before it tried a downward swing to get Shadow on the head. The black-clad Agito leaped back to avoid the assault as the spear dug into the hard asphalt. Acting quickly, Shadow dashed forward before stomping on the shaft of the spear, snapping it like a toothpick.

The Otiga stumbled backwards as it lost its main weapon. As it was stumbling, it tripped on the hole that Cornelia had made and fell on its back. Thanks to its rounded carapace, the Otiga was having some slight trouble getting back up. This was the opportunity that Shadow needed. He stood up straight as two new pairs of horns unfolded from his main pair with a metallic sliding sound.

Shadow then placed one foot in front of the other as he began to bend at the knees, taking what looked like a martial arts stance. As he was doing so, silver energy began to collect on the ground under him, creating a glowing symbol that resembled the current state of his helmet. The Guardians could actually hear him breathing as the energy began to rise in his body.

The Otiga was finally able to get to its feet as Shadow began holding the stance. The insect-creature took one last look at Shadow Agito and it understood what was happening. It had to get out of there! It quickly turned around and began to run.

"It's getting away!" cried Will.

"That poser!" snorted Hay Lin.

Shadow instantly looked at the retreating enemy as the symbol under his feet was absorbed into his body. To the girls' amazement, Shadow took a flying leap towards the Otiga, a distance that no one would be able to make without lots of momentum or wings.

Shadow's leg was outstretched into a kick that was aimed right at the Otiga. The insect-creature didn't even see the attack coming as the kick collided. The Otiga let out a screech as it was sent flying a short distance before skidding down the street a few more feet.

"Wow," Irma blinked.

"Some kick," added Taranee.

As Shadow landed back on the ground on his feet, the Otiga was getting up as well. It was thrashing wildly and the Guardians thought that another fight was about to start up. The thought was enforced as they saw the violet light from before spilling out from the creature's buckle. To their surprise, the violet light began to turn into a bright white light. The Otiga seemed to be in pain as this process continued before emitting one last final screech and exploding into a small blaze.

"Woah!" Hay Lin cried in surprise. "That was cool!"

The other girls were shell shocked by the explosion. The flames were quick to die down, but the one who had saved them was still there. His extra horns folded back into the initial pair as he turned to the side and began walking.

"Wait!" Will cried as she dashed towards Shadow. Her cry snapped the other Guardians out of their shock before they began to follow their leader.

Shadow turned his head slightly so that his red eyes were gazing at the Guardians for a brief moment. It was almost like he was considering them for a minute before turning his gaze back to in front of him and walking towards an alley.

The Guardians tried to follow, but when they reached the alley, they found that it was a dead end and that their savior was nowhere to be seen.

"What the-?" Irma blinked.

"Shoot. He's gone," Hay Lin sighed in disappointment.

A soft groan caught the girls' attention as they fearfully turned back to where the Otiga had exploded. With the flames as small as they were, they could see that there was a person in the epicenter where the creature had been before.

"Oh my gosh!" Will cried as she and the other Guardians rushed to the man's side.

"How could someone have gotten caught in the blast?" asked Taranee. "We didn't even see him!"

"He wasn't even there!" added Hay Lin. She gasped as a thought suddenly came to her. "You don't think….that HE was the monster, do you?"

"That actually makes sense," Irma agreed. "I mean, he's right in the centre of this little mess where the monster was before that guy took it out."

"But how can he be a monster and then a person?" asked Cornelia. That doesn't make sense!

Will immediately took out the Heart of Kandrakar and held it close to the man. If he was some kind of monster in disguise, then it would be able to tell them. She held it close for a minute without any kind of reaction showing through.

"Well, he's human now," Will frowned. "If he was that monster then it might not have been willingly."

Sirens began to echo in the distance as the emergency services began to come closer.

"Someone must have called the police when they heard that explosion!" cried Hay Lin.

"Then we'd better get out of here!" cried Cornelia.

The other girls didn't argue as they took flight away from the scene. There were still flames in the street and the blackened sidewalk was a pretty big clue to anyone who was near about something had happened. The man would get help soon enough.

* * *

Shadow Agito appeared in front of a house. He then walked over and began floating up towards an open window before pulling himself inside the room. The black armored Agito then stumbled towards the bed and collapsed on it. As soon as his helmet covered head hit the pillow, the light in his belt flashed and when it faded in his place was none other than Adrian Carter.

Adrian's mother had been so happy to see her little Addy was back that she smothered him with motherly hugs and kisses. At least it was more bearable than the headaches he'd been getting.

* * *

Above the chaos where the paramedics were loading the unconscious man into a waiting ambulance, the dark figure who had created the Otiga was watching.

"_So, a new Agito has awakened,_" he sighed with some agitation. "_How troublesome._"

As the ambulance drove away, the dark figure turned away from the unfolding panic with some measure of distaste. Humans were such timid creatures. They panicked over every little thing in their insignificant lives. It was tiresome.

* * *

At the Silver Dragon, the girls had changed back to their normal forms and discussing what they'd experienced with Yan Lin and Mirra.

To recap, Mirra was actually an altermere created by Nerissa to replace Yan Lin as one of her Guardians who she'd mind controlled. After Nerissa's entrapment, the altermere was renamed Mirra and known as Yan Lin's identical twin sister. Only the Guardians and Yan Lin knew the truth as did their closest allies while Hay Lim's parents were none the wiser.

"So to recap," Yan Lin spoke as she got the facts. "As you were walking home, this….thing appeared out of nowhere and just started attacking you."

"Yeah," Cornelia nodded. "Just looking at it creeped me out. Ew."

"And it had used powers you were unfamiliar with in its attempts to destroy you," Mirra continued. "In the end, when it looked like it had the upper hand, this fighter donned in black appeared and the creature suddenly lost all interest in you five."

"That's right," Taranee nodded. "It just took one look at the guy and it was like we weren't there anymore."

"You all witnessed the fight up until this fighter managed to destroy the creature with a single kick," Yan Lin spoke. "He the left without a word and you found that the monster may in fact have been a human trapped inside."

"That about sums it up," Will nodded.

"So was there anything special about this fighter's attack which destroyed the creature?" Mirra asked.

"His horns," Irma replied. "They spread out as he started using it."

"Horns?" Yan Lin and Mirra blinked.

"Yeah!" Hay Lin agreed. "Then there was this weird symbol that appeared under him before he absorbed it and used the attack."

"A symbol?" asked Yan Lin. "That might be useful. Do you think you can explain what that symbol looks like?"

"Better yet, I can make a picture!" Hay Lin smiled before she took out a napkin. Popping the cap off one of her markers, she began to doodle on the napkin. It was a pretty easy symbol to remember so she had no problems recreating it. After about a minute, she was finished.

"Tah-dah!" Hay Lin smiled proudly before she presented the picture to her grandmother.

"You know, the monster called him something," Taranee spoke up. "What was it again?"

Yan Lin and Mirra had stopped listening. As the two identical women gazed down on the symbol they gasped in shock. This was a symbol that they knew of. It was one only few ancient scholars knew of intimately. Yan Lin and Mirra were not of these people, but they knew enough to know whom this symbol belonged to.

"Agito," they gasped in shock.

* * *

**AGITΏ**


	2. His Name is Agito

**AGITΏ: Warriors of Creation**

As Yan Lin and Mirra whispered the name in shock, the five Guardians turned to the elders with looks of mild surprise.

"That's right, Grandma," Hay Lin spoke. "That thing called the guy 'Agito'. How'd you know?"

"Do you know something about this guy?" asked Will.

Both Mirra and Yan Lin were quiet for a moment. They seemed to by collecting themselves for a moment. After a brief time of getting their breathing back to normal, Yan Lin and Mirra looked up to the five girls that they were mentoring. If their fears were true, then the girls may be in over their heads. This wasn't some petty sorcerer involved this time. This was an agent of creation itself!

"I believe I might," Yan Lin finally spoke. "Please listen carefully because this is very important."

"Okay, you're starting to sound scary," Cornelia gulped. This was starting to sound pretty serious.

"It should because this is a scary business you girls are involved in," Mirra retorted. "Girls, the two beings you saw tonight are what I believe to be a Lord and an Agito."

"And they are?" asked Irma curiously.

"To answer that I have to go back to the beginning," Yan Lin explained. "In the beginning, there were two beings called Overlords. One was an Overlord of Light and the other was the Overlord of Darkness. For a long time, they lived in peace together and some believe that they were the ones who created our world."

"Really?" gaped Taranee.

"Well, no one was there so we can't be sure," Mirra sighed. "Anyway, the two Overlords were unsure who would be the one to reign over their creation. To answer their question, they did battle with each other."

"Who won?" asked Hay Lin eagerly. This story was beginning to sound pretty cool.

"The Overlord of Darkness," Yan Lin answered. Each of the girls gasped in shock. They had been expecting to hear that the Overlord of Light had won. Yan Lin and Mirra didn't seem to acknowledge the surprise that the girls had written on their faces.

Mirra continued, "However, before 'dying', the Overlord of Light spread what are known as Seeds of Agito into humanity."

Yan Lin added, "We don't know why. Maybe it was so humanity could evolve beyond the Overlord of Darkness' reach. We don't know. However, these seeds, when inside a human, are said to give that person a paranormal ability as it grows."

Mirra finished, "When it reaches full maturity, that person is believed to become an Agito. You may have just proved that tonight anyway."

"Okay, but what was that thing he was fighting?" asked Will.

"That is what some call a Lord," Yan Lin continued. "You honestly don't believe the Overlord of Darkness would let his own creation grow beyond his control do you? No, he would have tried to find the seeds and destroy the ones who held them."

Mirra added, "For this, he created the Lords. They were his agents of destruction. He sent them out to find the seeds and destroy them."

"Sore winner much?" Cornelia snorted. "I mean, he already won. Why bother wiping everything even remotely connected to the Overlord of Light?"

"If what you said is true then why did that Lord attack us?" asked Will.

"Well," Yan Lin sighed. "It may have mistaken your connection to the Heart of Kandrakar as a Seed of Agito."

Mirra continued, "While the Seeds and the Heart are different things, they do have a similar quality of granting their bearers powers. Even so, magic empowers a person from an outside source. The Seeds are an inside force."

"So this Lord thought we had Seeds," Irma sighed. "But then why did it turn into a human after Agito defeated it?"

"Maybe that's how the Overlord of Darkness creates them," shrugged Cornelia. "Don't you have to start with something to make something else?"

"That sounds like a plausible theory," Mirra nodded. "No one can really say how the Lords were created."

"Still," Yan Lin spoke. "The Lords are very dangerous. They are not enemies you fool around with. If you see another one then I expect you girls to either run or fight like you never fought before. Am I clear?"

"Yea ma'am," the girls nodded as one. From how Yan Lin and Mirra were talking, this was definitely something they couldn't make mistakes with.

"So, does that mean Agito is a good guy?" asked Taranee.

"That's a good question," agreed Cornelia. She then turned to the two older women. "Is Agito on our side?"

"It's hard to say," Mirra sighed. "It depends on the person who is bearing the Seed. If the person is good then they will be on our side. If they are evil then they will most likely become an enemy."

"If he was evil then why did he save us from that Lord?" asked Hay Lin.

"The Lord forgot about us when Agito showed up," Will pointed out. "Maybe he just hunts down Lords like the Lords hunt down Seeds."

"There is much we don't know about the nature of Agito," Yan Lin sighed. "However, there is a danger to Agito we must warn you of."

"What's that?" asked Irma.

"There is the threat of a premature seed," Yan Lin explained. "A dangerous berserker who is little more than an animal really."

"They call this affliction…Gills," Mirra added. "I hope you girls never have to face one."

The girls shivered at the mention of such creatures. This was not their night. First they face a creature made for nothing but killing, then they find out the one guy who might help may not be a good guy at all.

"Now I just want to curl up in bed," Irma sighed depressingly.

"Took the words right out of my mouth," Taranee nodded.

"It is getting late," Mirra nodded. "You girls had better be getting home. Tomorrow is another day."

Each of the girls said their goodnights before they began their various quests to the one place they wanted to be; bed.

* * *

The next day, Cornelia arrived at her locker to get her books. What she expected to see was someone she didn't want to talk to. Ever since last night, she had a lot trouble sleeping and did not want to be annoyed so early in the day.

"Hey, Cornelia," spoke the boy leaning against the locker next to hers.

Cornelia sighed and rubbed her temples. Now was not a good time, "Gerald, I've told you one and I've told you before; I'm not interested."

The boy, Gerald, had short blonde hair and blue eyes. He had also fair skin. He was dressed in a blue t-shirt with a white undershirt, blue jeans and sneakers. On his shirt was a Great White Shark with its jaws wide open. He was an attractive boy and fairly popular but also a notorious flirt known for dating several girls at a time. He was also a member of the school's boys swim team.

Lately, he had taken an interest in her. Cornelia guessed that it was because she would often say she was dating someone. She couldn't exactly prove Caleb existed at the moment, but she was going to insist that she was taken. Apparently, Gerald wasn't about to believe her without proof.

"Hey, can't a guy greet a pretty girl without everyone thinking he's flirting?" Gerald replied, smiling charmingly.

"Gerald, you're a flirt and playboy who chases anything in a skirt," Cornelia remarked, "For all I know this could be a cheap pick-up line you're so famous for. Besides, I'm already dating someone."

"So I've heard," Gerald replied. "Don't see him around."

"Believe me," Cornelia glared, "If he was here, you'd wish he wasn't around."

"Clever and cute," Gerald smirked. "Well, see you in class, Cornelia."

"Jerk," she muttered before walking towards her first class.

Gerald walked past Adrian and then the Goth suddenly placed a hand to his head as a headache came over him. The pain was so severe, he actually dropped his books. After a moment, the pain subsided, which allowed him to kneel down to pick them up. As he was about to get to his feet, he began to notice another pair of hands helping him. He looked up to see it was Cornelia.

"Thanks," he said, "Cornelia, right?"

"That's right," she said, "How are those headaches?"

"Bearable," he told her, "But I'm okay now." He then walked past her. He wanted to keep the conversation short and sweet. It was bad enough that she was one of the witnesses to his freak out, but she seemed smart enough to draw a connection. No way was he about to let that happen.

Cornelia watched Adrian go with some degree of concern and suspicion in her eyes. She knew that he was responsible for what happened in the gym, but she could tell that it was really hurting him too. Since he wouldn't open up to anyone, she could only watch in silence.

BRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNGGGGG!!

"Oh nuts!" Cornelia gasped as she began to run for her class. "I'm late!"

* * *

The day progressed for Adrian in an almost tortuous pace. His headache had returned, but the intensity would vary through the day. Sometimes it would barely even affect him, and other times it got to the point where he could barely see straight.

"Why me?" he grumbled as he rested his head against his locker. His head was throbbing in pain for what felt like the one hundredth time that day. "Why is it always me?"

"What are you talking about?" a new voice asked. Adrian was instantly turned around to see who was talking. Who he found himself looking at was the familiar red-head Will.

"Oh, it's nothing," Adrian sighed, trying to will his heart to slow down a little. He hated being caught by surprise. "I'm just having another headache."

"Cornelia mentioned that," Will frowned slightly. Her frown only tightened when Adrian put his hand to his head after feeling some throbbing in his temple. "Are you sure you don't want to go to the nurse's office or something?"

"I'm fine," Adrian sighed as he dropped his things in his locker and shut it. "Aspirin doesn't really help anyway."

"If you're sure," Will sighed. She decided to try and change the subject. "Are you going to the pep rally?"

"I don't have anything else to do," Adrian admitted glumly.

"Okay," Will nodded. "Well, if you can't find a place to sit then we'll try to keep a spot open for you."

"Uh…thanks," Adrian blinked.

"See you there," Will nodded before she started walking down the hall.

Adrian only watched her go before leaning on the lockers. His stomach had been doing flip-flops again. There was definitely something pulling him towards Will. It couldn't have been some kind of emotional thing. Adrian had promised himself he wouldn't let himself get close to someone in that sense. Not since….

Shaking his head, Adrian got up and began walking down the hall towards the pool area. He might as well go to the pep rally. It was better than class at the moment.

* * *

Irma yawned loudly as she left her classroom to get her stuff put away so she could go to the pep rally that the principal had set up for the school swim to team. They had been doing well this year and lots of people thought that they would bring home the championship for sure.

Irma had a tough time sleeping the night before. Remembering how that monster she and the others were fighting was on the verge of skewering her left some lasting images on her. It made for some graphic nightmares.

The whole ordeal with Agito and the Lords made her a little uneasy. No, scared would be the more practical term. Facing down Nerissa and Phobos scared her. She would have to be nuts not to have been afraid, but knowing that Agito and the Lords were creations of the very same beings that created the world she walked was an intimidating thing. She only hoped that Agito would be willing to help the Guardians against more Lords if they decided to show up.

Irma was so deep in her thoughts she didn't notice where she was going. She didn't even take notice of the other people in the hall before she bumped into someone.

A warm, physically fit someone if what she felt for a brief moment told her.

"Well, hello there," the owner of said physical body spoke.

Irma looked up to see who she had run into and found herself looking at the face of a rather handsome boy. He had blonde hair, fair skin, and some very nice blue eyes. Irma found herself melting on the spot.

"H-hi," she smiled cutely. "Sorry about that."

"It's okay," the boy smiled in return. "No harm done. If I may ask though, are you by chance heading to the pep rally?"

"Yes," Irma nodded. "My friends and I are going to be there."

"Hey, great!" the boy grinned. "My name's Gerald. I'm on the swim team. I really hope to see you there. It would sure raise my spirits to see your pretty face."

Irma broke into tiny giggles at Gerald's words. Oh sure they were lame lines, but this line was a pretty good one. If this guy was on the swim team, then she was definitely going to be there.

"You know," Gerald pondered. "I don't think I got your name."

"Irma," the blushing brunette smiled. "Irma Lair."

"Well then," Gerald smiled as he turned to leave. "I hope to see you at the rally Irma."

With that, he left. Irma watched him go before a goofy grin came to her face along with a small blush. Finally her day was looking up.

* * *

"So this new guy is called Adrian, huh?" Matt, Will's boyfriend, asked. They both just met up and were heading towards the pep rally together, hand in hand.

"That's right," Will replied.

"And you think he's the reason the windows in the gym shattered?" he prodded trying to clarify the info. She nodded again. "What makes you think that?"

"Well…he freaked out when it happened plus he was having headaches," Will explained. Matt shrugged.

"Could just be a coincidence. Anyway, what about this Agito guy?" Will had told Matt about their encounter with the armored man known as Agito and the creature they thought was known as a Lord. "You think there could be a connection?"

"Possibly," Will said. "But it's too early to tell though."

"Well, if this Agito guy was bad news he would've hurt you instead of just walking away," Matt spoke, "But that's my opinion, anyway."

"Thanks, Matt," Will kissed him, "So, you're band will be playing at the pep rally?"

"Let's just say we will be able to put the pep in the people," Matt smiled at her before kissing her back.

* * *

Cornelia was waiting in the stands. She had sent Blunk to get Caleb and the little passling agreed only after Cornelia had given him something in exchange. She knew she could rely on Blunk when he was given the incentive.

Caleb still stayed on Meridian but both of them were able to see each other once in while to go on dates either on Earth or in Meridian. It felt nice to be a couple even if they had a somewhat long distance relationship. She loved having Caleb as a boyfriend so it didn't matter as much now. She understood his responsibilities as he did hers. Although, he did need to learn about being more charming. At least he was working on that.

She then felt a pair of hands cover her eyes. "Guess who?"

She smiled, "Caleb, right?" The person removed his hands and Cornelia turned to smile at him.

"Bingo," the former rebel leader said as he leaned in to kiss her. "Got your message."

"I'm glad you came," she sighed. "Some jerk this morning tried to pick me up."

"Anyone whose butt I have to kick?" Caleb mock-frowned.

"No, not yet," Cornelia giggled as she took his arm. "I think seeing you with me will get him to back off."

"And if he still tries?" Caleb asked.

"Then you can kick his butt," Cornelia smiled.

* * *

"Nigel!" Taranee smiled as she caught her boyfriend on the way to the rally.

"Hey, Taranee," Nigel smiled before planting a kiss on his girlfriend's lips. "I was hoping to catch you at the rally, but this works out better."

Taranee definitely enjoyed having a relationship with Nigel. It wasn't all smooth with his past in Uriah's gang, causing her family to mistrust him, but they got through it. Nigel and her mother had a long talk before she decided that he at least deserved a chance to get into her good graces.

"So what event were you going to check out?" Taranee asked curiously.

"Well," Nigel pondered. "The high dive and trick diving contests aren't really my thing and I definitely don't want to buy a member of the swim team for a day."

Taranee giggled at Nigel's words.

"Matt would kill me if I ducked out too," Nigel added. "Nope, it looks like me and the boys from Wreck 55 will have to play for our adoring fans."

"Sounds good to me," Taranee smiled. "I just know you're going to knock them dead!"

"That we will," Nigel agreed.

* * *

Hay Lin was already beside her own boyfriend Eric as they watched the divers run amok with the trick diving. Both of them were having a laugh at seeing some of the weird ways the people competing would jump off. One guy even dressed as a snowman.

"I have to admit," Eric laughed. "I never thought I'd ever see a snowman jump into a pool like that."

"Me neither," Hay Lin giggled.

The two were wandering around, seeing what was going on. The trick diving contest was in full swing along with regular diving at the other end of the pool. Over near an open area, the members of Wreck 55 were setting up for their performance. Hay Lin could see Will and Taranee hanging out with their boyfriends already.

"So what will we do next?" asked Eric with a grin.

"I don't know," Hay Lin shrugged. "But this whole pep rally thing is definitely getting me excited."

Squeals from girls erupted near the bleachers where several members of the swim team were posing for their audience. Someone had set up an auction where girls could bid for any member they wanted and keep them for a day.

"Hay Lin, if you could buy any member of the swim team, who would it be?" Eric asked with some amusement in his eyes.

"Why would I want any of those guys?" Hay Lin snickered. "I have all the man I need right here."

"Lucky me," Eric smiled.

* * *

Adrian began cursing his idiocy. Why did he have to come here? His headache was as bad as ever now. He was lucky that it wasn't as bad as yesterday or the pool area would be needing new windows…or worse.

He wanted to leave, but the teachers were watching the doors so whoever came in didn't leave to skip the rest of the day. He was effectively trapped unless something big came up.

The music that was being played did not make his head feel any better.

* * *

Jeremy Fries was busy getting ready for his high dive. He was getting changed in the locker room into his swim shorts. He felt confident in his chances of winning the competition. He had been doing high dives since he came to Sheffield. There was no way that he could lose. Not with his special weapon either.

For a couple of months now, Jeremy was able to take damage better than others. It was like his skin was getting tougher. He could take a high dive belly flop like it was nothing. A belly flop always got the crowd going and it always scored points. It really depended on the judges, but most of them looked favorably on it.

"Now to win my prize," he smiled to himself as he turned to leave.

What he got was a cold hand gripping his throat before pressing him against the lockers.

"_Oh, there will be a prize indeed,_" the owner of the cold hand spoke with dark mirth in his voice. Jeremy didn't even have the time to scream as the dark figure plunged his hand into Jeremy's chest and then pulled out an orb of bright light. He held up the orb in front of Jeremy mockingly before he changed the light from a bright white to a dim purple glow. Satisfied, he thrust the light back into Jeremy before letting him go. "_These humans want a pep rally? Well, they will have one._"

* * *

Adrian grunted in pain in his seat as he held his head. His headaches hadn't improved since morning but getting worse. He spared himself a glance to see that Will and her friends were having a good time. He couldn't help but smile as he watched her chat with her friends and hung on her boyfriend's arm. Aside from Irma, all the other girls had boyfriends.

Adrian wasn't the only one having headaches either. Gerald, though masking his pain, was feeling them too. He felt a bit nauseous as well as his world swirl in his vision. He still kept his strength and image, though because he as well as some other good looking members of the swim team were being 'auctioned off' for charity. He saw Jeremy coming out of the locker room and noticed that he looked slightly pale with a manic look in his eyes. "Hey, Jeremy, whasup?" Gerald asked but Jeremy didn't give a response. Gerald did hear him mutter something, however.

"A…Gi…To…"

Gerald blinked at what his teammate was saying. Had the chlorine gone to his head or something? Well, it might have if the creepy look on his face was any indication.

Then, without warning, black smoke began to surround him. People started crying out in shock. The smoke proceeded to engulf the fellow swim team member, hiding him from view. The smoke was as thick as tar, but soon, two deep purple eyes could be seen shining through. That was when the smoke cleared and all hell really broke loose.

This Otiga was very shark-like. Its skin was a dull gray and it was humanoid as well. It wore two dark blue straps of cloth across its chest with iron shoulder pads stuck at its shoulders. Around its waist was a belt which had a dull crystal. The design was identical to the belts of the previous Otiga and Shadow Agito. Its legs were covered in silver leg guards. Its hands and feet were webbed with pointed claws. Its head looked like it belonged to a Great White Shark, complete with sharp teeth and a dorsal fin coming out of the top of its head.

Now was when the screams really began to fly. People started running at the mere sight of the Otiga as it began to stalk towards the large group of people collected near Wreck 55.

Right now, Gerald's head felt like it was exploding. The dull ache he had been feeling before was nothing compared to what it was now. Somehow, the mere appearance of…whatever Jeremy had turned into had sent his headache into overdrive.

Gerald wasn't the only one either. Adrian almost collapsed as his head began to throb in agony. He could feel his powers acting up again and that was the last thing that was needed in the current situation. He struggled to move, but he had to find a place to hide so he could try and get a hold of his abilities.

"Jeremy!" Gerald cried as he dashed towards the Shark Otiga. The creature stopped to look at Gerald. "Jeremy! You need help! What happened to you?"

The Shark Otiga didn't even reply. In one swift movement, the Shark Otiga swatted Gerald to the side. Its enhanced strength sent the boy flying. Unfortunately, he came to a stop in the water of the pool.

Satisfied that the nuisance was out of the way, the Shark Otiga continued to walk towards the crowds in an attempt to draw out the Agito. He would not pester its master after today.

* * *

The girls were enjoying the music of Wreck 55 when it happened. Screams of terror began flying through the air. Irma thought she heard a splash of water, but the rush of oncoming people who were terrified of what was coming blocked her.

Cornelia managed to squeeze her way through the people in the crowd to see what was coming. Her eyes widened when she saw the source of the scream; the Shark Otiga. Cornelia didn't waste time to get back to her friends.

"It's a Lord!" she whispered so no one could overhear, much less Eric who was staying close to Hay Lin.

"What?!" Taranee gaped. "What is a Lord doing here?"

"A Seed of Agito must be here!" Will frowned.

"Forget the Seed!" Irma frowned. "We have to take care of the Lord first!"

"Took the words right out of my mouth!" Cornelia nodded.

As the Shark Otiga came closer to the music crowd, more and more people began running for their lives. Up on stage, Matt saw the Otiga coming along with the members of his band. Knowing what this meant, he looked down to Will, who was peering back at him. Both of them gave small nod before they began following the terrified crowds out of the doors.

The girls had to pretend to escape with everyone else, but as soon as they were free from the masses and alone, Will brought out the Heart of Kandrakar.

"Guardians, Untie!" she cried out.

"Earth!"

"Fire!"

"Air!"

"Water!"

"Quintessence!"

The girls were engulfed in the magical light before emerging in their Guardian forms. With the change complete, the girls turned to go back and face the creature they believed to be a Lord on the hunt for a Seed of Agito.

Meanwhile, Caleb and Matt had stayed behind so the Shark Otiga wouldn't be able to hurt anyone. It was obvious that the creature was incredibly dangerous and very willing to endanger others for the sake of its goal.

Matt gritted his teeth and with a howl changed into his alter ego of Shagon, one of the three Regents of Earth. The Otiga saw him and snarled before lunging straight at the transformed Matt. Caleb jumped in and holding a chair then swung it as hard as he could. The Shark Otiga was driven back before Shagon blasted it with his eyebeams.

"Thanks," Shagon smiled under his mask, "But I could've handled it."

"Yeah, right," Caleb snorted.

The Shark Otiga growled before gritting its sharp teeth. It now hungered for human flesh and both Caleb and Shagon were its targets. It stalked towards the two males but was suddenly surrounded by a circle of fire. Its eyes peered through the flames to see 5 new people had joined into the fray.

"Don't think so, fish-face," Taranee taunted.

"You okay?" Cornelia asked Caleb.

"Hey, nothing to worry about," Caleb spoke confidently.

"So this is that Lord thing you've been telling me about, huh?" Shagon asked Will.

"Right," she replied.

"I have to agree," Shagon said, "It _is_ ugly."

"And it's also going down!" Irma shouted as she summoned her powers and pulled the water in the pool into her hands before launching it at the Otiga. The Otiga anticipated this and opened its mouth to suck in the water being hurled at it. Irma kept on going but the Otiga was still taking in the water before it blasted Irma back with it.

"Irma!" Hay Lin gasped.

The Otiga also began to use the water to put out the flames surrounding it and then blasted at Taranee to keep her from doing it again. It then stalked over to its prey.

"A…Gi…To…" the Otiga growled before roaring and charging at them.

* * *

Deep in the water of the pool, unnoticed by the Guardians, Caleb and Shagon, was Gerald. He opened his eyes. He looked to see that he was in the water and that he could breathe! He wasn't able to enjoy this revelation as he remembered what'd happened. His teammate, Jeremy, just turned into a monster! For some reason, he couldn't let it be. A flash appeared on his waist and formed an intricate belt similar to Shadow Agito's but with a shining blue crystal. As if on instinct, he slammed the palms of his hands onto the sides of the belt.

The blue crystal let out a blinding flash.

* * *

Adrian screamed out loud as he clutched his head from the intense pain. Thankfully, no one was around to see his powers go out of control as trashcan exploded and some leaves began flying around him. Like Gerald, an intricate belt with a crystal in the centre also appeared around his waist. This one had a silver crystal instead of blue. Without warning and not knowing what was happening, Adrian's hands touched the sides of the belt.

The silver crystal let out a blinding flash of light that turned everything white for Adrian.

As the Guardians, Caleb and Shagon were battling the Otiga, Irma was the first to notice the light coming out of the pool. She then pointed, "Look!" All attention transferred from the Otiga to the pool. Even the Shark Otiga was staring, transfixed by the site.

Suddenly, the water exploded as something jumped out of it and landed swiftly on the floor. The girls recognized the figure as water rained down on them.

"Agito…" Hay Lin gasped.

The warrior that had saved them had returned but then they noticed something different. Physically, he looked the same with his black bodysuit but this time his armor was blue and white instead of black and silver. Not only that but the red eyes his helmet sported were now green, the stone in his chest now white and the crystal in his belt was blue instead of silver.

The Shark Otiga growled before howling, "AAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTOOOOOOOOO!!" and lunging at the new arrival.

"Okay, now I feel ignored," Caleb complained.

"Don't feel bad," Cornelia sighed. "This happened last time too."

"Last time?" Caleb blinked.

Cornelia had stiffened in realization. She had forgotten to tell Caleb about their last encounter with the apparent Lord and Agito. Before she could even begin to explain what was happening, a roar from the Shark Otiga caught their attention.

The Shark Otiga was fast, but this blue Agito was just as quick. It was like he was as quick as water and just as hard to capture. For every blow the Shark Otiga would throw, the blue Agito would retaliate with a punch which collided with the head or sides of the Otiga in question.

The Shark Otiga was quickly becoming enraged as its attempted assaults were only met with pain. It quickly decided that this means of attack just wasn't working. It was time to try something else. Stepping back from the blue Agito, who was in a ready stance, the Shark Otiga merely slammed its palms into the sides of its belt; releasing the dark void the Guardians remembered the last Otiga using. A large flat object came out of the void and into the Otiga's hand. It pulled the weapon out and it was revealed to be a large boomerang.

"That…does not look good," Hay Lin gulped as she gazed at the large weapon.

"Agreed," Caleb frowned as he kept his eyes trained on the Otiga and its weapon.

The Otiga let out another roar and threw the boomerang with impressive velocity. The blue Agito began his dodge, but the boomerang managed to graze his shoulder, making a small shower of sparks. The blue Agito groaned in pain as he rolled to the side.

The boomerang continued moving, managing to gouge the walls as it continued flying towards its master. However, the Guardians were in its path

"Look out!" Irma cried.

Caleb Immediately grabbed Cornelia and brought her down to the ground to avoid the weapon. Shagon wrapped Will in his arms and shielded her with his wings and body while kneeling on the ground. The remaining Guardians hit the dirt as the Otiga's weapon soared over their heads. Hay Lin would later say that one of her ponytails got shortened because of the weapon.

The Shark Otiga grabbed the weapon and glared at the blue Agito. The armored warrior gripped his shoulder for a moment before standing straight again, staring at the Otiga in front of him. In a flash of movement, the blue Agito pressed his palms into the sides of his own belt, releasing a shining light which almost blinded everyone who peered at it.

The gathered people watched as a long blue and white handle came out of the light and into the blue Agito's waiting hands. The warrior pulled it and soon he was holding a trident with arrowhead points. The entire weapon in question was as long as his body.

"Where do these guys get their stuff?" asked Taranee with some shock.

The blue Agito gripped the trident and held it forward as the Shark Otiga roared in anger again before charging with its boomerang. The two fighters met as their weapons collided with each other, sending a shower of sparks to the ground. The blue Agito dislodged his weapon as the Shark Otiga tried to hit him over the head with his fist. The armored warrior circled around the Otiga before jabbing it in the stomach with the trident, causing it to stumble back with groans of pain.

The blue Agito didn't stop his assault as he charged forward. He swung wildly at the Otiga, causing more sparks to fly off its hardened skin. Finally, the blue Agito swung at its legs, causing the Shark Otiga to fall to the ground, groaning from the pain it was subjected to.

The Agito then took several steps back and stared at the groaning creature on front of it. The Guardians stiffened as they heard a metallic 'shing' which revealed the extra horns sliding into view atop Agito's head. Both Caleb and Shagon watched in some surprise as the symbol of Agito appeared underneath the blue warrior's feet. It was colored an ocean blue. As the symbol was absorbed into the blue Agito's feet, the moisture in the air was collecting on the trident tips, making them glow blue as the elemental energy was pooled into the weapon.

The Shark Otiga was slowly managing to get back on its feet, but it wasn't fast enough for it to retreat. The blue Agito surged forward with his trident held outward like a spear. The Shark Otiga couldn't even defend properly before the trident tips were burrowed into its abdomen.

The girls flinched as they heard the Otoga cry out in pain. Shagon and Caleb likewise flinched at the cry. The blue Agito didn't seem affected as he actually hoisted the Otiga overhead and tossed it several feet behind.

The Otiga thrashed on the ground as its belt began to let the dark light seep into the air again. The thrashing increased as the light began to turn bright. The Otiga let off another roar before slumping to the ground and exploding into a fiery blaze. At the same time the blue Agito's horns returned to their default position.

"This happened last time?" Shagon asked Will as they watched the flames quickly die down.

"Yeah," Will nodded absently.

"Well?" Cornelia asked irritable. "Let's see if we can get some answers out of him this time!"

The Guardians didn't get a chance when the doors to the gym suddenly swung open and a familiar black clad warrior they hadn't been expecting walked into view. Irma was the first to comment.

"There's TWO of them!?"

Shadow Agito entered, his red eyes glowing as he scanned the room. His eyes then fell upon the blue and white armored Agito who was staring back at him, gripping his trident. Both Agito gazed at one another intently. The air was thick with tension. Without warning, the two Agito let loose loud roars and charged at one another.

* * *

The roars of the two Agito echoed through the building and made several people's bodies shiver at the sounds.

Outside, where numerous students were waiting for help against the monster which had ruined their pep rally, the dark-skinned Ian Cook felt his head throb out of the blue. He didn't notice the grass he was standing on suddenly die as if it was burned.

Inside the school in one of the art classrooms, the bespectacled Oliver Chase was busy drawing in a sketchbook before his own head began to throb in pain. At the same time, a sudden gust of wind blew loose papers all around.

Mulling by himself at the back of his history classroom, Tyler Reeve was struggling to stay awake before it felt like his brain was about explode. As he tried to will the pain down, he didn't notice the grass on the ground outside the window beginning to grow wildly.

* * *

**AGITΏ**


	3. The Awakening Flame

**AGITΏ: Warriors of Creation.**

The Guardians were struck speechless by the roar both of the Agito in front of them had released before they charged at each other. The blue Agito swung widely with his trident, but Shadow Agito ducked underneath the swing and attempted several jabs to the head and torso of his blue counterpart. Unfortunately, the blue Agito was skilled with his preferred weapon and moved the trident around so the blows would hit the weapon rather than the wielder. Shadow took a brief moment to back away from his opponent so he could try and figure out a better means of attacking.

Meanwhile, the Guardians and their two allies were watching with rapt attention.

"Why are they fighting each other?" asked Irma with some measure of shock.

"I'd tell you if I could," Taranee answered, continuing to watch the fight. "Since I don't know then I can't."

A particularly loud 'crack' from Shadow receiving a slam from the trident's staff to the side of the head caused the girls to flinch. Shadow Agito stumbled backwards as the vibrations from the blow rattled his head. Stabilizing himself, Shadow Agito began circling around his opponent, ready to go for another assault.

"Well, whatever reason they're fighting, I'm ending it!" Shagon frowned behind his mask.

"Count me in!" Caleb nodded.

"What?!" Will gasped.

"Caleb, you aren't-!" Cornelia tried to sputter out.

The girl's cries for them to stop went unheard by the two boys as they charged forward. Shagon swooped over to Shadow Agito before wrapping his arms around him, pinning the armored warrior's arms against him. Caleb likewise went behind the blue Agito and gripped the trident before bringing it up to the blue warrior's neck. It caught the blue Agito off guard slightly, but left him on his feet.

"Okay, you two!" Shagon frowned as he and Caleb attempted to hold the two Agito back. "Cool down!"

The five Guardians held their breath as they waited for the fight to end. Hopefully Shagon and Caleb would get the two Agito to calm down. Of course, there was the fact that both of the warriors were able to defeat a monster on their own when even the five Guardians had some trouble with them.

Shadow Agito began to breathe loudly and growl as he struggled against Shagon's hold. It was the same for the blue Agito. Shadow Agito's eyes then let loose a bright flash as Shagon was blasted into the wall by an invisible force. As for his blue counterpart, the water from the pool erupted and a stream of it sent Caleb flying into the stands.

"Caleb!" Cornelia screamed as she flew towards him.

"Matt!" Will flew towards her own boyfriend who had detransformed at the impact. "Are you okay?"

"I think so…" Matt groaned.

"Caleb, speak to me!" Cornelia spoke as Caleb shook his head in pain.

"Okay…I didn't see that coming," he muttered.

The two Agito began fighting with each other again. Shadow Agito launched a kick to his head but the blue Agito ducked and swept Shadow off his feet with his trident before smashing him into the pool. The blue Agito then jumped in to fight with his black armored twin. Their power clashed in the water as the water erupted into pillars from the force of their fighting. The Guardins just stood and watched as the two armored warriors created by the Seeds went at it without any evidence of stopping. Then, two splashes of water erupted and the two Agito landed on opposite ends of the pool glaring at one another. With two 'shings' their horns spread out once more on their helmets as they went into their poses, gathering their energy under their feet before absorbing them.

Irma knew the sort of damage their attacks could do so she yelled out, "Stop!"

Neither Agito listened as they leapt at one another. Shadow Agito trust out his leg as the blue Agito jabbed with his trident. Both attacks connected at the same time with Shadow Agito's foot colliding with the blue Agito's head and the trident's energized tips striking Shadow Agito's chest. Sparks exploded from both of them as their attacks sent them flying. Shadow Agito smashed into the stands, shattering the seats as the blue Agito fell back into the pool with a loud splash.

The Guardians watched on to see if it was over. They heard groaning. Will, despite Matt's protest, went to check on Shadow Agito, holding the Heart of Kandrakar in her hand if he tried anything. Hay Lin and Irma flew over to the pool where the blue Agito had fallen into to see that he was floating on the surface, face up. It would appear his armor wasn't as heavy as they thought or it had special properties that wouldn't let him sink. The two Guardians of Water and Air still kept vigilant. If he tried anything, they would freeze him.

Will approached the groaning black clad Agito as she studied his belt. It was like the Otiga's, except it seemed more metallic and radiated with a light. Against her better judgment, she traced her finger around the buckle. It felt like metal. Her hand then passed over the crystal and she mused at how warm it felt. Suddenly, her vision was blinded by a bright flash of light from his belt but through it she could see that Shadow Agito…was shrinking.

The same flash of light was also released by the blue Agito's belt, Forcing Irma and Hay Lin to shield their eyes. When both lights faded, the girls were surprised at what they discovered.

"Adrian!?" Will gasped as she looked down on the prone body of the newest student in the school.

"Gerald!?" Irma let out in shock, covering her mouth as her eyes widened. Cornelia heard it too and was just as surprised.

The Guardians had no time to contemplate on their discovery when they heard a commotion coming from outside. Acting quickly, Will used the Heart's power to gather all of them up and teletransport them away.

* * *

Yan Lin and Mirra were dealing with the last of the lunchtime crowds as they watched the last customer leave. Mirra was just wiping off the table as her 'sister' was cleaning the kitchen a little when the pulse of a teletransportation was felt and a sudden crowd appeared in the middle of the room.

"What's going on?" Yan Lin asked as she hurried into the main room.

"I'm not quite sure, but I think it's safe to say your granddaughter and her friends are involved," Mirra sighed as she gazed at the group of youths who were, for the most part, in their alternate forms. Her eyes then landed on two boys she hadn't seen before. Yan Lin likewise saw them.

"And who are these two?" Yan Lin asked somewhat sternly.

"Uh…well," Will mumbled. "This is going to be a surprise but…"

"These two guys are Agito!" Hay Lin cried out.

Yan Lin and Mirra were both silent from the sudden announcement. It actually took them a moment for their minds to fully process exactly what the Guardian of Air had said.

"What?!" Mirra cried in shock.

"You mean there are two of them now?!" Yan Lin

"We saw them change right in front of our eyes," Taranee confirmed.

"After they beat the crap out of each other," Irma added for good measure.

"You mean they fought each other?" asked Mirra.

"Yeah," Matt agreed. "Not before the blonde guy destroyed a Lord by himself. Then our dark friend showed up and they started going at each other."

"Took me and Matt for a loop for good measure too," Caleb groaned as he rubbed the side of his head.

"Poor baby," Cornelia cooed as she ran a hand through his hair, seemingly to caress the rising bump on his head.

A sharp groan from Adrian caught everyone's attention. The boy was waking up. Yan Lin immediately was by his side and was moving him over to an open booth so he could lie down. Mirra took care of the closed sign before going to assist Irma with Gerald.

"You girls better change back," Yan Lin urged. "Don't want to give him too much of a shock."

"Aren't they going to be shocked when we tell them what we just saw?" Hay Lin asked curiously.

Will shook her head, "No, if we want them to believe us we have to stay in our Guardian Forms."

Yan Lin sighed and nodded. She may not have agreed fully with the decision, but these girls were the Guardians. They would eventually have to make these sort of decisions on their own.

Adrian rubbed his head as he opened his eyes. He focused his blurry vision to see that he was no longer in the school but an oriental restaurant. He looked around to see that Will was looking at him. She looked different…older even…and were those WINGS on her back?

"You okay?" Will asked.

"My whole body aches, but I'm alive," he remarked, "Thanks for asking."

Will sighed in relief.

"Can I ask you something?" Adrian asked. She nodded, "Why do you look older? Why are you dressed like that? And…well…why do you have wings?"

Will knew this would happen. Well, might as well open up one bombshell before another one. She hoped Adrian could take the surprise well.

At the same time, Irma was looking over Gerald. Actually, she was admiring his well toned physique. He was shirtless and still in his swim shorts. He looked absolutely delicious to her eyes. Well, he did before Hay Lin brought over a blanket to cover him.

"Irma," Hay Lin scolded. "You shouldn't ogle a guy when he's unconscious."

"Um…" Irma blushed. "I wasn't ogling!" she denied.

"Sure you weren't," Cornelia rolled her eyes before mouthing, "denial."

Gerald began to stir as well. He had a splitting headache like he'd been hit on the head with a really hard rock that had knocked into his really fast and hard. His blue eyes began to open as well when he saw Irma looking down on him. He gave her a smile and wink, "Hey, gorgeous."

Cornelia snorted, "Irma, ignore him. He's a notorious flirt. Don't bother with him."

"I'm hurt, Corny," Gerald mocked and looked her up and down, "Nice outfit. Didn't know there was a costume party. Of course…" he looked at Irma, "You'd win best dressed hands down." Irma blushed and stuttered.

"Oh, brother," Cornelia smacked her forehead at the cheesy line.

Will was explaining their situation to Adrian who was looking somewhat skeptical at her claims. Well, it was the last comment that made him look at her in disbelief, "You…talk to electrical appliances?"

Maybe Will should've left that out when explaining her powers. Under other circumstances, she wouldn't even be telling anyone about them, but seeing as both Adrian and Gerald were not 'normal' she decided to make an exception. Maybe they would be able to learn from the two Agito.

"Among other things," Will answered.

"And I thought my abilities were weird," Adrian sighed as he hung his head in his hands. "Seriously though, talking to appliances?"

"You can't make this stuff up," Hay Lin spoke while folding her arms over her chest.

"As much as I would like to disagree, you have a point," Adrian nodded. If someone was going to have a paranormal ability, talking to appliances wouldn't be on anyone's list.

As he was massaging his head, he began to smell something that made his stomach growl loudly. Will and Hay Lin giggled slightly. Adrian at least had the energy to blush.

Gerald's stomach was making similar sounds, indicating its desire to be fed. Gerald took it in stride, but Cornelia was all giggles about it. Irma on the other hand was ready for the opportunity.

"Looking for something to eat?" she smiled sweetly.

"Well, if it isn't too much trouble," Gerald shrugged. "I'd pay, but I left my money in my other pants."

"It's no trouble!" Irma insisted. "Hay Lin's grandmother is already making something so I think we can get something for you."

"You read my mind," Mirra's laughter could be heard from the kitchen. Everyone turned to see the aged woman walking from the kitchen with several bowls of her cooking in it. She went right over to the boys and placed the bowls in front of them.

"I'm sure you boys are tires and hungry from your little encounter today," Mirra spoke calmly, but with a friendly tone. "Eat up."

Gerald dug in with vigor while Adrian was somewhat slower. The gathered Guardians and their two male companions took various seats around the two boys and just seemed to be patiently waiting for them.

"Ever get the feeling we're like fish in a fish tank?" Gerald asked Adrian.

"Right about now," Adrian sighed. He looked up to the gathered audience and spoke up. "Look, it's obvious you all have something to say so just please say it already."

"Okay," Will sighed. "We know you two are Agito."

This brought the two feasting boys to a halt. Gerald was the first to speak, "Agito? Just what is an Agito?"

"Please don't try to play dumb," Caleb sighed. "We saw you and Adrian fighting each other in those armored forms of yours at the school."

"Armored forms?" Gerald blinked.

"I don't know about you, but I can't remember the past half-hour, okay," Adrian grumbled. "All I know is that my head was going to explode from the pain and I just blacked out. I doubt I was fighting anything."

"Wait, what happened to Jeremy!?" Gerald suddenly gasped. "He turned into that shark thing, didn't he?"

"We're pretty sure he's fine," Taranee replied. "When one of those things are beaten, they change back. You should know though, you're the one who beat it."

"Last thing I remember is being knocked into the pool," Gerald retorted.

"So you guys can't remember ever fighting each other or that shark creature?" asked Will incredulously.

"Sorry, but I was unconscious," Adrian sighed. "There's no way I could have fought anything, much less in some kind of body armor."

"Hmm," Yan Lin pondered. "This might be another phase of development with the Seeds. They activate on their own regardless if the host is conscious or not."

"Excuse me?" Gerald stared. "Seeds? What are we, potted plants or something?"

"Oh no," Mirra said calmly so she could explain things. "The Seeds of Agito are a source of energy which can give humans special abilities. They eventually turn their bearers into Agito. Since the girls saw you as Agito, can I assume that you have special abilities?"

Adrian sighed and looked extremely uncomfortable. After a moment of what looked like internal conflict, he looked at his chopsticks and put them on the table. He stared at them for a moment before they began spinning without anything touching them.

"Oh!" Cornelia gasped. "Telekinesis! I can do that too!"

"What about you, Gerald?" asked Irma.

"Just watch," Gerald smiled. He reached to a glass of water which Mirra had brought out. He held his finger above it and just let it spin around without touching the chilled water. To the girl's surprise, the water began going into a whirlpool. Seeing the audiences' faces, he smiled. "I can only manipulate it. I can't conjure it."

"Well, that's my power too," Irma spoke up, "And I **can** pull it out of thin air."

"Well, that aside," Adrian said, "Seriously, what's with the outfits and wings?"

Will then told them outright, "We," she pointed to herself, Irma, Taranee, Cornelia and Hay Lin, "Are the Guardians of the Infinite Dimensions."

"Also known as WITCH!" Hay Lin piped up.

"Guardians of the Infinite Dimensions?" Adrian repeated. "WITCH?" Who came up with this stuff? "Okay, that's it," he stood up. "I'm out of here."

"Wait!" Will stopped him.

"Listen, Will, I don't know what is going on and I don't really care. All I know is that something weird is happening to me. I don't need to know that weird stuff is happening _around_ me too. I don't think I can picture myself as this Agito thing or believe that I fought a monster with my bare hands. Sorry, Will, but what you think I am, I'm not. You're wasting your time." He went towards the door and opened it telekinetically, "See you guys at school."

The Guardians watched him leave and Gerald spoke up, "Um…can I get some clothes please?"

* * *

All in all, the girls were disappointed with their meeting. It seemed that neither Adrian nor Gerald could remember the things they were doing as Agito. Even more, they may have alienated Adrian slightly by putting all this in his lap.

Gerald seemed to be taking it better. He was calm about it at the very least. After the girls returned to their natural forms and giving Gerald a shirt and pants which once belonged to Hay Lin's father, they made their way back to school. Both Cornelia and Will were taking the opportunity to cuddle with their boyfriends while Irma was enjoying Gerald's company. Both Taranee and Hay Lin wanted to get back to their own boyfriends and make sure they were okay.

As they entered the Sheffield Institute's gates, they were surprised to see a crowd of students and teachers waiting outside the front doors. There was even a police cruiser outside with two officers talking to the principle. Taranee took notice of a pair of paramedics that were bringing the boy who had been an Otiga a short time ago out on a stretcher and into an ambulance.

"I hope he's okay," Hay Lin fretted slightly.

"He will be," Will stated confidently.

"Count on it," Matt agreed while clutching his girlfriend's hand.

Gerald felt some guilt in his stomach at seeing his teammate on that stretcher. If what the girls were saying about this Agito business was true, then any serious injuries that the paramedics would find on Jeremy's body would be his fault.

"Taranee!" a male voice cried from the crowd, catching the group's attention.

They turned to see who was shouting and found themselves looking at a boy around their age. He had dark skin which matched Taranee's and had dark hair which had some blue streaks though it. He had hazel eyes and a red t-shirt with jeans on.

"Ian!" Taranee gasped.

The girls knew this boy well enough. His name was Ian Cook. He was Taranee's cousin and a decent guy. He was somewhat aggressive, but he was nice, if not almost overprotective of his friends and family.

"Taranee, where were you?" Ian asked worriedly. "You just vanished in the chaos and I was asking Nigel what happened to you and he doesn't know. We were both freaking out by the time we got out here."

Ian was one of the favorite relatives on Taranee's list. He was accepting of Nigel since Taranee had started her relationship with him. Ian could relate very well to the kind of trouble Nigel had in being once part of Uriah's gang.

"Well, you can stop worrying," Taranee answered, trying to calm her cousin down. "In all the chaos, we decided that we had better get far away so we went to Hay Lin's family restaurant. We waited a while to see if it was safe before coming back."

"Okay," Ian sighed. "Well, could you at least try to let me, Nigel, or someone know next time? I almost had a heart attack!"

"Promise," Taranee giggled. She then turned somewhat serious. "Speaking of Nigel, do you know where he is?"

"Yeah," Ian nodded. "He's with the other members of Wreck 55 near the gym. They're waiting to get their things back once the cops clear the place."

"Thanks, Ian!" Taranee smiled brightly before dashing off to find Nigel.

"Well, as fun as it is," Hay Lin smiled as she started walking towards the crowed. "I've got a boyfriend to hunt down so I'll see you guys later."

"I've got some alone time scheduled and I'm not about to miss out," Cornelia commented as she started dragging a slightly struggling Caleb away.

"I'd better check in with the guys," Matt sighed. He then turned to his girlfriend. "Wanna come with?"

"Always!" Will smiled before the two walked to meet the rest of the band.

"I guess that leaves you and me, Water Sprite," Gerald smiled charmingly.

Irma blushed brightly with a giggle.

* * *

The Dark Figure watched and grumbled as its latest Otiga had failed. Not only that, another Agito had awakened, much to his disbelief, "_Another Agito? Troublesome. Looks like I need to speed up in creating my army._" He then departed to scan the area for more potentials to add to his army of Otiga. His eyes fell upon a police cruiser and he got a malicious idea.

* * *

Adrian was sitting in his tree, just contemplating stuff when he heard someone knocking on the bark. Looking down, he saw that it was Will.

"Hey," Will said. She tried to look friendly, hoping to at least try and talk to Adrian about Agito again.

"Hey yourself," he grumbled. Will frowned. Okay, so he was still denying a lot of what he had been told.

"You know you can't just write me off like that," Will said to him.

"Why not?" he shrugged. "It worked before."

Will sighed. Getting Adrian to believe them was going to be harder than they thought. They may be able to help him with the Seed in him and his Agito powers. "We want to help you."

Adrian snorted, "Heard that a lot from my old guidance counselors. Sorry, but I'm not interested."

Will rubbed her temples. Why did some people have to be so stubborn? She then got an idea. Holding up the Heart she then used her powers and zapped at the branch, breaking it on contact. Adrian was shocked since his seat no longer existed and fell off it and onto the ground. He rubbed his aching back and looked up to see Will giggling. He grumbled, "Very funny," as he stood up and put his hands into his pocket before walking away. "I'm going to the library. At least it's peaceful there."

Will watched him go with some disappointment. That definitely did not go according to plan. She had hoped that a little comedy might get Adrian to at least warm up a little. Instead, it made him blow her off completely.

Matt walked up behind Will and asked, "Problems?"

"I just don't know what to do," Will shook her head.

"Why do you need to bother with him anyway? He doesn't remember or even believe in him being an Agito," Matt told her.

"We want to help him understand his powers more. Maybe he can be a huge help," Will explained.

"Well, he sure doesn't need help fighting that Lord thing," Matt commented. He could still feel the bruises when Adrian, as Shadow Agito, had knocked him into the stands. "Maybe we could just leave him alone. When a Lord comes he can still automatically change into an Agito and fight."

"Which worries me," Will said. "It's the Seed controlling him, not the other way around. All we want to do is help him control it."

"Well, he first has to want to be helped," Matt told her. "And I know you girls can do that. I mean, you never gave up on me, did you?"

Will smiled, "No, I didn't."

* * *

Adrian was walking down the halls when he met up with Gerald who was leaning against the lockers. "Hey," Gerald waved.

"What do you want?" Adrian asked.

"Oh, not much," Gerald spoke.

"Good, then there's nothing for us talk about." Adrian continued on his way but Gerald stopped him.

"All I want to say is that maybe we should give these girls a chance," Gerald advised. Adrian rolled his eyes.

"And what? Believe this crazy story about Guardians, Infinite Dimensions and Agito?" Adrian scoffed. "No thanks."

"You know what we can do and what they can do. Is it so hard to believe in this Agito thing?" Gerald asked.

Adrian snorted, "Only believe in what I can see. As far as I'm concerned they're just a bunch of girls who can turn into pixies and not Guardians of any sort of Infinite Dimension. And Agito? Someone must've watched too many Japanese sci-fi shows."

Gerald frowned, "Well, unlike you, I'm going to try to find out what's happening to me and try to control it."

"Knock yourself out," Adrian muttered before walking away.

"Well, I tried," Gerald sighed. "I guess some people just don't want to be helped."

* * *

The Dark Figure had bided it's time well. Knowing that there were two Agito out there to oppose him along with those girls and whatever allies they had. No, this would take something tricky.

One Otiga by itself wouldn't be enough. A single Agito could take one down. Still, the Figure didn't know the limits of the two Agito or the girls who kept showing up.

If the Dark Figure could smile in his current form, he would have. A very nice plot was already completing itself in his mind. He just needed to get the pieces.

* * *

The weekend soon arrived and Gerald found himself with the girls at their usual training spot near the bridge. The girls explained they often trained there when they figured they needed it.

And Gerald figured that he needed some training.

"So how exactly do you plan to train anyway?" asked Cornelia.

The blonde seemed to be a little more chipper in the past few days. Hay Lin explained that it was because Caleb had been given permission to stay a little longer to gather information on this new threat on Earth. One never did know when a threat to one world may become a threat to more.

"Well," Gerald sighed. "Hay Lin's grandmother, or her twin, I can't tell them apart for the life of me, mentioned that I have this Seed of Agito inside of me. I assume it is what made me change the last time."

"And you want to learn how to control it rather than it controlling you," finished Taranee.

"Exactly," Gerald nodded. "I figured you girls know more about transforming than I do since you have those Guardian forms with you."

"Now why can't Adrian be more accepting?" Will huffed in some annoyance. "Gerald is behind this all the way while Adrian is trying to forget it ever happened."

"Dunno," Hay Lin shrugged. "Maybe if Gerald learns how to do it then we can have him convince Adrian that Agito exists."

"So…how do you want to begin?" asked Irma.

"Well, how do you five transform?" replied Gerald.

"That's a good question," Will sighed. "Usually we just have to concentrate our wills on the Heart of Kandrakar and that usually brings out the changes. The Heart provides the power, but we have to have the will to harness it."

"So it all comes down to willpower," Gerald nodded. "That sounds like a good theory. Might as well give it a shot."

Gerald gave himself some space from the girls and closed his eyes so he could meditate. He really didn't know what he was doing so he decided to just wing it. He tried to focus on inside his body to try and 'feel' where his Seed of Agito had hidden itself.

He tried to picture it. Given how it gave him control over water, he thought that it would be blue and shimmering like clear water. He pictured in his mind an orb made of pure clean water. He concentrated on that image as he tried to imagine a way of tapping into it. Before he could attempt though, he was caught off guard by Hay Lin's cry of shock.

"Woah!"

Gerald instantly stopped his concentration and looked at the girls to see what was wrong. He thought it was his eyes for a moment, but he saw that there was a blue light illuminating the ground. The girls were all watching him with some degree of shock. The light quickly dimmed and went out, but the girl's faces remained the same.

"What?" Gerald asked with some confusion.

"There was this light coming out of your waist!" Irma cried as she ran closer to Gerald. "It looked like you were just about to transform!"

"Really?" Gerald blinked. "Wow, that close already?"

"Yep!" Irma chirped. "It may take awhile for you to transform at will but that's a good start."

"Well, that's sweet!" Gerald smiled before his tummy rumbled. He blushed. "Um…can we get something to eat? That really took a lot out of me."

"I guess trying to tap into your Seed's power makes you hungry," Taranee observed.

"Guess so," Gerald shrugged. "But, before we do, let me see you girls do your thing."

"Alright!" Will held up the Heart of Kandrakar and Gerald admired the jewel for its shine and beauty. He could also feel the power emanating from it. Maybe his Seed was reacting to it. He stood and watched as Will summoned their transformation, "Guardians, Unite!"

Colored lights exploded from the Heart and engulfed the girls. Adrian stood transfixed as the light formed into orbs and when the orbs dispersed, the girls were in their Guardian forms, calling out their elements.

"Fire!"

"Water!"

"Earth!"

"Air!"

"Quintessence!"

Gerald clapped as he admired the girls flying in the air. "Wow! Okay, you've seriously made me a believer!" Gerald wasn't as hesitant to believe in the Guardians as Adrian but seeing them transform like that was an eye opener. He had to admit that he was skeptical at first, but this put his doubts to rest. If only Adrian had agreed to come with them but the Gothic boy had flat out refused to have anything to do with them.

The girls then changed back to human form and then they all walked towards the Silver Dragon. Taranee had called Ian to let him know where they were. He said that he would be meeting them there too. She had promised him since it was her apology for scaring him like she did earlier. The guy did have a real family complex.

* * *

The Dark Figure gazed through the window of the police cruiser to see two officers sleeping. He smirked. _"Perfect." _His hand phased into the side of the car and plunged into the unsuspecting officer on the left. His partner was getting up but then was frozen in fear as he watched his partner screaming and a light being pulled out of his chest right before it was turned purple and put back inside. He reached for his gun but it was too late as the Dark Figure's hand plunged into his own chest and repeated the process. Their eyes were a dull purple now. The Dark Figure congratulated himself and began to give his new minions their orders.

* * *

"Oh man," Ian grinned as he swallowed some of his meal. "Taranee, you didn't tell me you hung out in a great place like this!"

"A girl has to have some secrets," Taranee smiled as she and the others ate.

Everyone had met at the Silver Dragon Restaurant where Ian was already waiting for them. They had all taken one of the larger booths so that they could all sit together and talk. Gerald had strategically placed himself next to Irma. Cornelia just gave her friend a silent warning about Gerald's habits.

The group talked and made conversation like people their age did. The majority of them acted as if their lives weren't partially dictated by magic or recently turned upside down. The normalcy was refreshing. Well, so was being in the company of a good looking guy for one girl in particular.

Eventually, Ian went to visit the washroom, leaving the magically inclined to their own devices.

"You know," Hay Lin pondered. "You and Adrian need names."

"Excuse me?" Gerald blinked.

"Well, we can't call you both 'Agito'," Hay Lin explained. "That would get confusing."

"She's got a point," Taranee nodded. "Can you think of any good ones?"

"Something to do with water since he can control it," Irma pondered.

"How about 'Aqua Agito'?" proposed Will. "Short and simple."

"If I'm 'Aqua', then Adrian is 'Shadow'," Gerald snickered.

"'Shadow Agito'?" Cornelia spoke, testing the name. "That doesn't sound too bad. Why Shadow though?"

"Because Adrian might as well be a shadow in out attempts to get him to open up," Gerald explained. "That and you girls mentioned he wears black armor in his Agito form."

"Shadow and Aqua," Will whispered as she tested the names. "They sound okay to me."

Gerald suddenly had a headache for some reason. Irma noticed this.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Just a migraine," he told her. "Been having them since I found out about my powers. They just happen at random."

He wasn't the only one not feeling well.

* * *

In the washroom, Ian was bent over the sink and sweating profusely. He wiped the moisture off with a napkin. He felt dizzy and lightheaded and held onto the sink for balance.

"What's…happening to me?" he asked himself, dizzy as hell. It had also started about a few months ago before he came to live with Taranee's family. He had lived in another town and circumstances beyond his control had forced him to come live with them. He didn't mind it, really, but he hated the headaches and what would happen during these headaches.

His reputation back home had been less than pleasant and it had all started at the same time of these stupid headaches.

* * *

Back in the main dining room, a police officer stepped through the doors. He stood out and everyone briefly glanced over to look at him. When Gerald did, his headache began to get worse.

"Gerald?" asked Irma worriedly. "Okay, something's really wrong. Your headache is getting worse, isn't it?"

"Guilty, I'm afraid," Gerald sighed as he rubbed his temples. "My head hasn't felt this bad since the pool where everything went crazy."

"Do you think it might be because of your Seed?" asked Hay Lin curiously.

"I hope not," Gerald sighed. "I've had enough action for the week. I don't care if I remember it or not, I still know it happened."

As the friends were talking, the police officer walked over to the nearest people to him. His movements seemed a little jerky, but not disorganized. People just assumed that he was on the clock for too long.

"Excuse…me," the officer spoke somewhat slowly. He reached into his pocket and pulled out what appeared to be pictures of Adrian and Gerald. "Have you…seen these two?"

"Uh," one of the people blinked. She peered at the pictures for a moment before her eyes widened. "Yeah, I have. The blond one. He's over in that booth."

The woman pointed to the large booth where the girls and Gerald were eating and chatting. The officer merely nodded before walking towards the booth.

Gerald's headache was now getting worse. He was now clutching his head as Irma began to fret over him. It felt like a bullhorn was blaring an alarm inside his skull. He looked up and saw the officer walking towards them. The look on his face made Gerald's blood run cold. The blaring in his head immediately rose by a megaton.

"We need to run," Gerald gasped as the clues finally began to make sense. "Now!"

"Huh?" Cornelia blinked. "What do you-?"

"AAAAAGGGGIIIITTTTOOOOOO!!" the officer roared before smoke started to engulf him. The patrons at the restaurant began screaming as they witnessed the event happening.

The smoke finally cleared and that was when the patrons really began to run for their lives. A brand new Otiga was born. This one had green scales and a yellow chest which was partially blocked by the bronze armor which it adorned over its body. Its arms were muscular with bronze armbands and razor sharp claws. The usual silver belt of the Otiga was adorned on its waist. Its legs were green and scaly with bronze leg guards along with a spiked tail. Its head was definitely like a dragon's with horns jutting from the back and an elongated snout.

"That's why," Gerald gulped as the Otiga was fully formed. The rest of the patrons had disappeared through the doors in a panic. That was a smart move for them.

"Raaaahhh!" the Dragon Otiga bellowed as it lunged forward.

"Look out!" Taranee cried as she and the others scrambled to the sides of the table. The Dragon Otiga slid across the surface of the table in its attempts to get Gerald.

The boy in question, along with the Guardians in civilian identity, managed to scramble behind the Otiga as it struggled to get back onto its feet.

"You girls had better try and find a place to transform," Gerald spoke seriously, much more seriously than any of the girls had heard him before. "I'll try to hold it off until we can make a united front."

"But you can't even transform on your own yet!" Irma cried.

"No better time to learn than now," Gerald shrugged as he kept his eyes trained on the Otiga.

"But-!" Irma tried to argue.

"He's right!" Will interrupted. "We need to find a safe spot. Gerald will be fine. The Seed will work on its own if it needs to."

Irma still looked reluctant, but she still complied as she and the others began to make a race for the kitchen so they could change discretely.

"Now it's just you and me," Gerald smirked at the growling Otiga.

Gerald closed his eyes tried to picture the sphere of blue water in his mind again. He didn't have the time to concentrate on it like he did at the bridge. He had to do this fast or he was going to get killed. The image of the blue sphere was quick to appear in his mind. The blue light likewise began to shine around his waist. The Otiga was slightly stunned by the blue light. After a moment, the light dimmed to reveal a metal belt with a blue gemstone in the middle.

Gerald's eyes snapped open as he crossed his arms in front of himself and took a cleansing breath. He felt that if he didn't do this properly, then the transformation wouldn't happen and the Seed would have to take over.

"Waters of Agito! Transform!" Gerald called as he slammed his palms onto the buttons that were situated on either side of the belt.

Light erupted from the centre of the belt, which almost made the Otiga cry out as it stumbled back. Gerald's body was engulfed by the light as he became taller while his body shifted slightly. The change only took a moment, but when the light died down, Gerald had become Aqua Agito.

"Alright!" Aqua Agito looked himself over, "I've transformed!" He then went into a battle stance and made a taunting come hither motion with his hand, "Heh, heh, come here, ugly!"

The Dragon Otiga roared as it lunged at our blue clad hero. Aqua Agito dodged to the side resulting in the table getting shattered. "Hey, I'm right here!" Aqua Agito mocked causing the Dragon Otiga to growl in rage and swipe at him. Claw marks decorated the walls as Aqua Agito kept dodging. In his mind, he was saying, '_Come on, girls. Hurry up!_' Despite his cockiness for being able to transform on his own, he still lacked any sort of conscious battle experience. The Dragon Otiga could smell it and then opened up its jaws to take a bite out of the blue armored Agito. Aqua Agito grabbed a nearby chair and jammed it into the Otiga's jaws. "Chew on that for awhile!"

Meanwhile, Ian had heard the commotion and came out of the bathroom to see the monster and some guy in armor tearing the place apart. His mind then refocused on something, more like someone, else. "Taranee!" Where was she? Did she get out yet? Worry plagued his mind and seeing the monster was making his headache worst.

* * *

Will raised up the Heart and called, "Guardians, Unite!" A bright light shone from the Heart and engulfed the girls, morphing them into their Guardian Forms.

"Fire!"

"Water!"

"Earth!"

"Air!"

"Quintessence!"

Will then ordered, "Let's go! Gerald needs our help!" before they all rushed out of the kitchen.

Mirra and Yan Lin preyed and bid the girls, "Good luck."

* * *

The Otiga had crushed the chair with its jaws as it stalked towards Aqua Agito. Despite being able to hold his own against the monster, he was in trouble. He had to figure out how to summon his weapon!

Ian, meanwhile, was hiding and watching the fight, hoping that Taranee was alright. If she had evacuated with the other patrons, he would feel relieved but he had this strange feeling that she hadn't left.

Aqua Agito screamed as sparks flew off his chest when the Dragon Otiga slashed him in the chest. He was sent to the ground and now the thing's foot was pressed onto his chest, keeping him down. "Get…off…me!"

"You heard the man!" a female voice cried before a large blast of water caused the Dragon Otiga to be launched several feet away. Aqua looked up to see the girls of WITCH assembled at the other end of the room. Irma had her hand outstretched towards the downed Otiga.

"Thanks," Aqua coughed as he got back up. "Your timing couldn't be better."

"Well, wouldn't be able to unless you held it off," Cornelia smirked as Aqua placed himself next to the girls. "Now let's really show him what we're made of!"

"But first," Hay Lin frowned as she began to collect hr power. "Let' take this outside! No way I'm going to let my grandma's restaurant get trashed!"

A blast of wind erupted from Hay Lin's hands, which picked up the Dragon Otiga and sent it flying straight out the front doors.

"Now we can fight," Hay Lin snickered as she, the other Guardians, and Aqua Agito followed the airborne Otiga into the open air.

Ian was agape as he watched the exchange. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. However, he knew that what he was seeing was real. The general chaos created by the appearance of the monster proved he wasn't the only one to have seen something.

Furthermore, he was fairly positive that he saw his own cousin as one of those fairy girls. Sure, she looked a little older and her hair was in dreadlocks, but that was definitely her.

"Just what the heck is going on?" Ian growled to himself. His attitude was not being helped as he was being immersed over his head along with the killer headache he was suffering through.

Ian moved over to one of the window of the restaurant to see what was happening. The girls were all shooting various fireballs, energy, water, etc, but none of it seemed to be worth much attention to the monster. It was still trying to attack the guy in blue armor. As Ian laid his eyes on the monster and the armored guy, his headache throbbed even worse than before.

He watched the assembled fighters trying to fight the monster, but even as they hurled attack after attack, the monster seemed to be able to dodge them easily enough. While they were fighting, Ian noticed a police car at the end of the street. At first, he thought that maybe the police were going to lend a hand, but when he looked to the police car, his headache began to scream on an all new level of pain.

"Agh!" Ian cried as he dropped to his knees from the pain. He dared to glimpse at the police car and his eyes widened as he saw the door of the patrol car get ripped off from the inside as another monster which looked just like the other one appear. The only difference was that this one had red scales rather than green.

Ian's horror only mounted when a blast of fire was ejected from the red monster's mouth. The blast screamed through the air towards the assembled magic-users. One in particular looked like she was going to take a particularly nasty hit.

"Taranee!" Ian cried as he saw that his cousin was going to get hit from behind.

Ian surged to his feet and dashed to the front door. He was through them in a heartbeat and dashed towards his cousin who had her back turned to the second monster.

Taranee heard her cousin's voice and turned to see Ian running towards her. Her eyes widened when seeing him coming, but as she turned to face him, she saw the glow from the incoming attack from the enemy who was trying to sneak up on them.

"Look out!" Ian cried as he shoved Taranee to the side. Taranee's eyes widened in shock as she watched the fireball engulfed her cousin while she landed roughly on the ground.

"IAN!" she screamed out.

Ian's entire body was enveloped in flames. He screamed out loud but then he stopped when he discovered that he wasn't burning or in pain. He could feel the flames licking his body and the warmth yet they weren't touching him but surrounding him. Then, he remembered when that monster had attacked Taranee and his face contorted in anger. He had sworn to himself that he would protect her and that was what he was going to do. As if reacting to his anger, a metal belt with a red crystal in the centre appeared around his waist. His body moved on its own as his palms slammed onto the sides of the belt, causing the crystal to release a bright light.

Taranee was about to use her powers to absorb the flames when she witnessed the light shining through. All fighting ceased as the rest of the Guardians, the lone Agito with them and the Otiga stood transfixed at the glowing flames.

The flames looked like they were being sucked into the light and when it died down, Taranee let out a gasp.

"No…way…"

Standing in Ian's place was an Agito. His armor was a shining crimson with golden trimmings and a rectangular golden stone set in the centre of his chest. His eyes were yellow and seemed to shine with an inner flame. The belt he wore held a shining red crystal. The new red clad Aguto gazed at Taranee for a second before turning his attention to the Otiga.

The rest of the Guardians were just as shocked at this revelation as Taranee.

"What the hell!?" Irma shouted out.

"Ian's an Agito too!" Will shouted out.

"Wow!" Hay Lin said.

"Talk about small world," Cornelia commented.

The red Dragon Otiga growled before firing another fireball at the red Agito but he merely walked through it as it smashed into his armor, extinguishing itself. The red Otiga continued firing but the flames did nothing to this red clad warrior who didn't even flinch as the flames erupted on him. It was as if he was immune. He placed his hands onto the sides of his belt and then a void glowed in front of it. Reaching down to the void, he pulled out a long sword with a red handle and guard which resembled his horns.

Aqua Agito, seeing this, understood. "So that's how it's done!" He slammed his palms onto the sides of his belt and reached down to the void forming in front of his belt and pulled out his trident. "Neat!" His eyes turned towards the green Dragon Otiga. "Alright, time for round two!"

The red Dragon Otiga swiped at the red Agito with its claws but hit only air as its opponent ducked. The red Agito sent it staggering back with a brutal punch to the stomach before slashing it across the chest with his sword. He then jumped up and landed a powerful kick to its head, sending it tumbling to the ground. The red Dragon Otiga was now officially angry as it got back onto its feet with only blazing rage in its eyes. With another roar, it began to hurl more fireballs at the red Agito!

"Oh no you don't!" Taranee cried as she began throwing fireballs of her own to block the Otiga's attacks. The red Agito seemed a little stunned by her actions and gazed at Taranee.

"No one hurts my family," Taranee said simply before she started throwing more fireballs to keep the red Dragon Otiga busy.

The red Agito seemed satisfied with that before he charged forward with his blade raised. The red Dragon Otiga was caught off guard before the blade of the red Agito was meeting its armored hide, causing sparks to fly in all directions. The force of the blows forced it back. The red Agito decided to finish the combination with a forward jab. The red Dragon Otiga was knocked to the ground. The red Agito seemed satisfied as he stood straight. Then, his horns opened with the familiar metallic 'shing', signaling that he was preparing his final attack.

Aqua Agito was busy holding off the green Dragon Otiga. Thankfully he knew how to use the weapon in his hands so he wasn't totally unprepared in using it. The green Dragon Otiga would lunge forward with claws outstretched, but the barbs on the trident would keep it away.

Eventually, the green Dragon Otiga got fed up and started blasting fireballs at Aqua Agito in an attempt to destroy him.

"Back off!" an angry female voice cried out.

Suddenly, waves of water fell from above and not only snuffed out the fireballs, but also knocked the Otiga off its feet. Aqua Agito turned around to see Irma hovering behind him with her hands outstretched.

"So the water sprite is my guardian angel as well," Aqua Agito said. Irma just began to blush. Turning back to the green Dragon Otiga, Aqua Agito turned serious again.

"Time to finish this!" With a 'shing' his horns spread out.

Under the red Agito's feet, the symbol of Agito glowed. It was a glowing fiery color as he absorbed the energy into him and focused it into his sword. The blade was engulfed in flames as a result. Aqua Agito too focused and the energy formed the emblem under him before it was absorbed into his body. Water surrounded the tips of his trident and glowed brightly. Both Agito locked their sights onto their respective targets before charging.

The Guardians stood by and watched as the Agito finished off their opponents. The red Agito slashed the Otiga in the chest twice, creating a glowing X-shaped cut before spinning around and dealing a destructive slash in the heart of the 'X'. Aqua Agito jumped up and jabbed his trident at the green Dragon Otiga, plunging the sharp head of the weapon into its chest before raising it up into the air and throwing it behind him. Both Dragon Otiga roared and thrashed around as the lights of their belts glowed brightly. They then exploded. What remained of the two monsters were the two police officers who had been turned into them. Both Agito's horns then slid back to their original positions.

Aqua Agito was feeling a bit good about himself, "Heh, not too shabby if I do say so myself." However, his gaze now turned towards the red clad Agito who was looking at him. If what he'd heard from the girls were true about him fighting Shadow Agito, this new one's Seed might be in control and may see him as an enemy. Aqua went into a defensive stance, readying himself for anything. The red Agito only seemed to stare at him for a moment before turning his attention towards the Guardians as they approached closer.

Taranee slowly began approaching the sword wielding red Agito. "Ian, is that you?" she asked as she carefully made her way towards him. She knew he was in there. She could reach him, she knew she could. Despite the blank stare of the red Agito, she was positive that her cousin was still inside.

A spark of recognition seemed to appear in his eyes as he stared at her. The red Agito spoke, "Ta…Taranee?" He dropped his sword and held his head in pain.

"That's right," Taranee nodded. "Can you control it?"

"I…think…so," the red Agito spoke in broken words. "It's…hard. It feels…afraid."

The red Agito dropped to his knees as he clutched his head. Aqua Agito felt things were safe for the moment, but he kept his trident at the ready. He wasn't sure how long the red Agito would be able to control himself.

"There's nothing to be afraid of," Taranee whispered soothingly as she wrapped her arms around the red Agito and held him close. "It's okay."

"What's…happening to…me?" the red Agito asked. Speaking became a little easier. "Taranee…I'm…scared."

"It's okay," Taranee whispered to calm her cousin down. "You've been given a gift, that's all. A very special gift."

A very special gift indeed.

* * *

**AGITΏ**


	4. Earth Shattering Experience

**AGITΏ: Warriors of Creation.**

It was a silent scene in the middle of the road near the Silver Dragon restaurant. The Guardians of the Infinite Dimensions and Aqua Agito, a bearer of a Seed of Agito, had been forced to battle with two Dragon Otiga that had apparently been on the hunt for any Agito they could find. During the fight, Taranee's cousin Ian managed to shove her out of the path of a fireball before taking it himself. Instead of harming him though, the fire seemed to activate his own Seed of Agito before changing him into a red Agito. At the moment, he was struggling for control while Taranee gave him emotional support.

"I'm scared," the red Agito whimpered as he was held by his cousin.

"I know, I know," Taranee whispered. "We'd better head inside though. Best not to be found out."

The red Agito and Taranee both stood up before the collected magic-users began walking back to the restaurant. However, as they were walking, light began to shine from the belts of both the red Agito and from Aqua Agito. The light engulfed the two males before they shrunk slightly to reveal both Gerald and Ian in their original forms.

"Note to self: work on controlling changing back," Gerald grumbled to himself.

The Guardians brought the two boys inside before sitting down at another booth. Mirra and Yan Lin were already cleaning up now that the two Otiga were gone. It wouldn't be long before the police showed up or the two outside regained consciousness.

"Did I see things right?" asked Mirra. "A _third_ Agito?"

"You saw right," Will nodded as Taranee sat her cousin down. The boy looked incredibly weary.

"A Guardian and an Agito in the same family," Yan Lin snickered. "What are the odds?"

Taranee wasn't listening to the two old ladies. She continued to keep her attention on Ian. Ever since his family sent him to live in Heatherfield, he had done his best to protect her when she needed it. Right now he needed her and she wasn't about to push him away.

"Ian?" she asked carefully. "Are you okay?"

"Taranee," Ian spoke hoarsely. "What happened to me? What am I?"

"You're an Agito, man," Gerald answered.

"An…Agito?" Ian questioned, trying to understand. "What does that mean?" He looked at the collective girls, "And what are you girls supposed to be?"

"I think I should explain this," Taranee said, telling Ian EVERYTHING from the very BEGINNING.

* * *

Adrian was resting a cold pack on his head after a rather nasty headache. "Why won't these headaches ever stop?" the Goth grumbled, annoyed by the soreness in his temple. He just couldn't find a way to kill off the pain. He had tried painkillers but they did nothing for his pain. Plus, his pain could turn into the pain of others if his power were to go out of control. His chair had been thrown across the room and his books were scattered. Plus, his bed had levitated and rotated several times. It reminded him of 'The Exorcist'. He vowed that he would one day bolt all the things to the ground so they wouldn't fly all over the place.

His parents were out. His dad was overseas and his mom had gone to get groceries, leaving him alone. He spend his time either reading or watching TV. Sometimes he would amuse himself by throwing a baseball at the ceiling or levitating it around and around for the heck of it. He still felt dissatisfied.

Despite his denial towards the girls and Gerald, he was still thinking about what they said, especially their offer to help. He had seen their Guardian Forms and what they could do so maybe they could help where his doctors or his guidance counselors could not. Also, he was somewhat interested in this whole Agito business. He reached behind his pillow and pulled out a folded piece of paper. He unfolded it and on it was a picture. It was the symbol of Agito.

For a few nights now he'd been having these weird dreams. In them he was looking at a warrior clad in black and with red eyes fighting with a number of beasts and winning. The symbol flashed constantly in his mind so one night after waking up from a nightmare, he drew it.

"Should I really give them a chance?" Adrian asked himself as he stared at the emblem. He snorted, "Yeah, right. Who am I kidding? They know as much about this Agito stuff as I do. How can they even think to help?"

He frowned. He did feel bad for blowing off Will. She had been the only person to approach him and try to be friends and yet he pushed her away. "Okay, should I go and talk to her? Gimme a sign here." He waited…and waited…and then he heard the doorbell. "Is that your sign?" he asked the drawing. "Well, better see who's there." He rolled off of his bed and then got to his feet before walking out of his room, and going downstairs to see who had come to visit.

Tyler Reeves stood in front of the door, holding a box under his arm. He was dressed in blue jeans, a white shirt and brown jacket. His brown hair was short and neat and he had brown eyes to match. He was also fairly tall but that was to be expected for someone who was a Junior in Sheffield.

The door creaked open and Adrian peeked, "Who is it?" He then saw who it was. "Reeves?" He then came out.

"Your mother asked me for some herbs," Tyler said, holding the box. "Is she around?"

"Went to buy some groceries," Adrian answered. "Now, hand over the box."

"You could say please at least," Tyler said, quirking an eyebrow, before handing the box over to Adrian who took it.

"Thanks," Adrian muttered before walking back inside. "I'll tell mom you dropped by." The door then slammed close.

Tyler sighed. Despite being neighbors they weren't very friendly with one another. His own mother had invited the Carter's over one day and well…the first meeting wasn't exactly a pleasant one. Adrian appeared very moody and well…he didn't smile much. Even in school they never said a word to one another.

Tyler then returned to his own house. He needed to tend to his bonsai and do some meditation exercises. They helped him with the headaches he'd been having.

* * *

Ian had listened to the whole story and looked…well…surprised. Gerald was surprised too. He'd never heard of the girls' adventures until now but hearing about them made him see them in a new light. Irma blushed a bit as he looked at her.

"Wow…you girls are kick ass!" Gerald exclaimed, admiring them.

"Thanks for noticing," Cornelia smiled, flipping her hair. All girls had turned back to their normal forms.

Ian was just silent, processing the information he'd been given. All this time…his own cousin had been some kind of a superhero! Not to mention the fact that she had been managing to hide it from her family. Actually, it explained the bouts of destruction that appeared now and then.

"You okay, Ian?" Taranee asked, still concerned for her cousin.

"Well," Ian sighed. "My entire world has been turned upside-down as I just found out my cousin is a fairy girl who can use magic along with her friends. It does explain why you hang out with your friends so often though."

"It does explain that, doesn't it?" Hay Lin smiled.

"So what are we going to do now?" asked Cornelia.

"I know what I'm going to do," Ian smiled slightly. "I'm going to learn how to use my Agito abilities. No way am I going let my cousin and her friends go at things like this alone."

"We're not helpless, you know," Irma frowned slightly.

"We never said you were, Water Sprite," Gerald grinned. "Against these things though, I would think any help would be appreciated."

"He's got a point," Will agreed. "The Lords are pretty tough. Having the Agito around is a real help if you ask me."

Yan Lin nodded in agreement. Will had grown to become a fine leader and judge of character. The Agito would indeed make valuable allies. However…not many would see them as allies but as threats due to the unpredictable nature of the Seeds within them.

"So, do we go back to the bridge to train or something?" Gerald asked.

"No," Will shook her head, "My mom's expecting me home soon. Maybe tomorrow."

"Sure," Gerald said, before smiling at Irma, "See you later, Water Sprite." Irma blushed harder as he walked towards the door and her eyes ventured down to admire that fine…

"Earth to Irma!" Cornelia said, snapping her fingers.

"What!?" Irma growled, blush on her face.

"You were so checking out Gerald's butt," Cornelia teased.

"No I wasn't!" Irma denied. '_Okay, so it was still fine!_'

Taranee giggled as she had heard the thought. Irma had it bad.

"This has been quite the week, huh?" Hay Lin said, reclining in the seat, "Three Agito! Hey, you think we'll find more?"

"Better hope they aren't jerks like Adrian," Irma muttered.

" Adrian?" Ian asked.

"Another Agito, we call him Shadow Agito," Taranee explained.

"An Agito who is in denial of his own powers," Will added. "We've tried to talk to him but he's been avoiding us."

"So what?" Cornelia snorted. "We got two Agito on our side now. We don't need him."

"Do not push away possible allies so soon," Mirra chided. "They may surprise you."

Ian seemed to be pondering something and Taranee noticed. "What's wrong?"

"You said you called Adrian 'Shadow Agito'," he said. "And Gerald is…?"

"Aqua Agito," Hay Lin chirped, "We just thought it up today."

Made sense. Can't really call of them Agito. Too confusing. "Maybe I should get a name too. Something to do with fire."

"How about Pyro Agito?" Will suggested.

"Burning Agito?" Cornelia added.

"Blazing Agito?" Irma chipped in.

"Fire Agito?" Hay Lin put in.

Ian shook his head at all those suggestions. He remembered the flames and…wait. That's it!

"Flame Agito!" he spoke up. The other Guardians agreed. That sounded good.

"Well, welcome to the team, Flame Agito," Will said, shaking the newly awakened and dubbed Agito's hand. Now, if only recruiting Adrian was as easy.

* * *

The Dark Figure stewed over the latest failure of his Otiga. Had that new Agito not appeared, then it was only a matter if time before the blue Agito would have fallen before the two Otiga he had been faced against. Now instead of a dead Agito, he had three of them to deal with. The five girls were of little consequence, at the moment. It seemed they had an elemental affinity alongside the Agito. That meant that they had the potential of being dangerous if they were to become a true team together. Still, the first Agito who rose against him was reluctant to accept his role. That meant he was vulnerable. This was a perfect opportunity to do away with him.

* * *

The weekend eventually ended and the students returned to the Sheffeild Institute for another day of school. Adrian was one of those students as he went through the motions of the day. As the lunch bell rang, signaling some momentary freedom so the students could eat and hang out together.

Adrian himself was eating in a tree like he usually did. He had to relocate since Will had broken the last branch with her abilities. He was wholeheartedly not expecting for his measure of peace to last.

"Hello again," came the expected voice. Adrian looked down to see his usual company of Will Vandom looking back up at him.

"Hello indeed," Adrian acknowledged. "Come to talk about this Agito business again?"

"A little," Will answered as she leaned up against the tree. "Not concerning you though."

"Why tell me then?" asked Adrian.

"Because we can prove the Agito exists to you," Will answered. "Gerald can control the transformation well enough. Ian's going to begin training too."

"Ian?" Adrian blinked. "Who's Ian?"

"Oh, he's another Agito," Will answered.

"They're popping out of the woodwork," Adrian sighed. "So you can actually prove this whole Agito business is real?"

"Yeah!" Will nodded quickly. Maybe now they could get Adrian to believe, then there would be three Agito to help them against the 'Lords'!

"Well, if you do prove it to me, I'm still not going to change my mind," Adrian said. Will gawked.

"What?" Will asked. "But why?" She was confused.

"Listen, you and your friends are the heroes. As you can see, I'm not exactly the hero type," he explained to her. "Nor am I interested in even playing hero."

" Adrian, you've got a gift," she insisted.

"More like a curse," he muttered.

"Huh?"

Adrian shook his head, "Fine, never mind. I hope you and your friends the best. Since you already got two Agito, you don't need me anymore."

"But don't you need us?" Will asked. Adrian stared at her.

"What is _that_ supposed to mean?" he asked her, quizzically, silently demanding her to elaborate.

"You're always all alone, by yourself and people avoid you," she told him, "And those who try to get close to you, you push away. Doesn't it get lonely?"

"Just because I'm a loner, doesn't mean I'm lonely," he told her. "Now, can you please go so I can enjoy my lunch in peace?" Will frowned.

Before she left, she did leave him with a piece of advice, "Just remember that you're not alone in this. All you need to do is ask and we'll help."

"'I'll keep that in mind."

* * *

Gerald and Ian were sitting with the girls, along with Caleb and Matt. The two boys who'd known the girls and their Guardian powers the longest were surprised by what they'd been told.

"I can't believe I missed that," Matt said.

"Sounds like a lot of fun," Caleb added.

"You boys sure have a weird sense of what's fun," Cornelia commented.

"What we did in that broom closet was fun for you too, wasn't it?" Caleb whispered, causing the blonde girl to blush and drop her spoon before kicking him in the shin.

"Not here," she warned, a tint of red still on her cheeks.

Irma was enjoying sitting with Gerald. They would talk and he would occasionally flirt with her. She was nervous around him. Martin, thankfully, wasn't harassing her, which was a good thing. She didn't want him to start bugging Gerald for no reason.

Nigel wasn't around. He'd gotten the flu so he had to stay home for a few days. Taranee did come to visit, along with Ian, who still hadn't left her side.

"So, we're going to have practice sessions everyday after school," Hay Lin planned out before she saw Will. "Will, over here!" she waved and the red head walked over and sat down, sighing depressingly.

"Let me guess," Matt said. "You talked to Adrian again." There was an edge in his voice. He couldn't be jealous that Will was spending time with the reluctant Agito, could he?

"Yep," Will said. "Good news though, he's willing to come and see that Agito is real."

"I'm sensing bad news too," Cornelia said.

"Even if he does believe, he still doesn't want to use it," Will said.

"But why?" Hay Lin asked.

"Maybe he's afraid of it," Ian said. "I know I was."

"But if he learns to control it then he doesn't need to be afraid, right?" asked Taranee.

"Maybe," Will shrugged. "The problem is that he doesn't want to open up for some reason. Being afraid of his power is one thing, but it's like he's afraid to get close to people too."

"Wonder what happened to the guy to cause that," Caleb pondered.

"It makes him seem kind of lonely when you think about it," Irma sighed sadly. "Maybe he isn't as much of a jerk as I thought."

"Well that does it!" Hay Lin cried, standing up. "It's not right that he has to be by himself! We're going to bust him out of his shell if it's the last thing we do!"

"Get him ticked off and it might just be," Gerald muttered under his breath.

* * *

The day wore on and finally school let out. Will had left a note in Adrian's locker telling where they trained and the directions to get there. The dark boy knew this was a bad idea, but going there might get those girls off his back.

Will's words about loneliness were rolling around in his head again. Why did that girl continue to try and get near him? Everyone else gave up after the first try! Even guidance counselors called him a lost cause in his old school. All they ever spouted about was how he wasn't even trying to explore the world's potential and other optimistic jokes. The kids from the old school only talked to him for a day before leaving him alone. It was close to a week now and Will still wouldn't let go.

"Why?" he muttered to himself. "Why won't she leave me alone?"

'_Because she understands,_' a voice at the back of his head replied.

Logically, the voice had a point. If anyone did understand what it was like to be different, to be hip-deep in the paranormal, then it would be Will and her friends. But none of the other girls tried to talk to him beyond when he woke up in Yan Lin's restaurant. So why did Will keep trying? An even bigger question is, just why did he keep feeling his walls getting chipped every time she talked to him?

Checking his map, Adrian found he was in the right area. Looking over to see a bridge in the distance, he figured he was in the right place. So, with some reluctance, he walked towards the spot where the map said the girls were training with the two Agito.

He wasn't disappointed as he saw the girls in their Guardian forms practicing their abilities while four boys watched on. Three he recognized as Caleb, Matt, and Gerald. The fourth he hadn't seen before. That one must have been the new Agito, Ian.

Taranee could be seen lighting small bundles of sticks which was no doubt precision training while Irma had to put them out from a distance with shots of water. Cornelia was growing large flowers while Hay Lin would send petals through the air in patters. Will herself was shooting various sizes of energy blasts from the Heart of Kandrakar. All three were working on better control.

Adiran silently walked to the boys and took a seat. Matt was the first to notice him.

"So you decided to show up after all," he spoke tonelessly.

"It would be rude not to," Adrian shrugged. "Not after Will or one of you went through the trouble to make a map."

"I thought you didn't believe in this stuff," Caleb commented, his eyes were still glued on Cornelia.

"I only believe in what I can see," Adrian replied. "The girls proved to me that magic exists and that they can transform into these 'Guardian' forms of theirs. Agito on the other hand I will believe when I see it."

"You know, Will's really trying hard to be friendly with you," Matt frowned slightly. "The best you could do is be a little nicer about it."

"I was being nice," Adrian snickered. "Usually I say something rude or sarcastic to make people go away. Will's one of the few who can actually tell when I want to be left alone."

Upon hearing Adrian's voice, Will turned to smile at him. She flew over to the Goth boy and landed on her feet. "Glad you came," she said, smiling. "I was afraid you weren't going to show up."

"Might as well do this so you girls can get off my back," Adrian said still wearing an emotionless mask. Matt's eyes narrowed angrily at how Adrian was talking to Will.

"Okay, now that you're here, you can start practicing with Ian and Gerald," Will pointed to the other two awakened Agito. "Gerald will lead you since he was the first to change on his own."

"OK," Adrian nodded as he joined Ian and Gerald while the Guardians stopped to watch. "What am I supposed to do?" Adrian asked Gerald who was the 'expert'.

"Well," Gerald said, "What I did was focus on my Seed. I did it by focusing on the nature of my powers, which was water." He closed his eyes and on his waist was shimmering blue light which grew and materialized into his belt. Adrian cocked an eyebrow. Okay, maybe there was a merit to this Agito business. "Okay, you both try."

Ian closed his eyes. He saw only darkness but then he saw a flare of some kind in front of him. It grew and Ian could feel some sort of warmth coming from it. A light began to radiate out of his waist, this time red instead of blue. It hurt at first but the pain passed before the light grew and materialized into a belt identical to Geralds but with a red crystal instead. Ian looked down at the belt and smiled. Taranee applauded.

Adrian observed and closed his eyes. He saw nothing but darkness. He continued to concentrate a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead. He then began to see some sort of light flickering in the distance. He mentally reached for it like he would reach inside of himself for his powers. The light grew brighter and soon enough, like the other two boys, the light on his waist appeared. It seemed to hurt for a few seconds before it felt natural and not long after that the belt materialized. Will was pleased and Matt caught the look on her face before grumbling, "Show off."

"Alright, now what?" Adrian asked. "We got our belts so are we Agito now?"

"Nope," Gerald shook his head. "But you're a step closer. Now to take the next step!" Gerald crossed his arms before slamming the palms of his hands on the buttons flanking his belt. "Waters of Agito! Transform!" A blue flash of light was released by the belt and Gerald's silhouette changed, becoming taller and more muscular. When the light faded, he was donned in his armor. Now Adrian looked surprised, eyes wide as Ian looked nervous. The armor looked slightly intimidating to Taranee's cousin. Luckily, Gerald was in full control of his Aqua Agito form. "Your turn."

Ian nodded before crossing his arms and then quickly slamming the buttons on the sides of his belt, "Flames of Agito! Transform!" Like Gerald, a red flash of light came out of the crystal in his belt before changing him. The light faded and he looked over himself. "Wow! This is amazing! And it doesn't hurt anymore!" Taranee smiled happily for Ian, now Flame Agito.

Adrian looked at both fully transformed Agito and hesitated. Should he try it? He had been proved wrong about the Agito. He remembered how he was told he had lost control. What if…?

"You can do it, Adrian!" Will encouraged. "Go on! Do it!"

Adrian got his confidence back and swallowed. He then asked, "Am I gonna have to call it out like you guys?" he asked Aqua and Flame.

"No," Aqua shook his head, "But it does help focus."

"Fine," Adrian said.

"By the way, the girls are already calling you 'Shadow Agito'," Aqua added.

They had already picked out a name for him? Well, it could've been worse. Shadow Agito didn't sound too bad. Crossing his arms, he called out, "Shadows of Agito! Transform!" before slamming the palms of his hands onto the buttons. The silver light of his belt engulfed his entire body and not long after he was now donned in his black and silver Agito armor. "Heh, not bad," Shadow said, appreciating himself. "Okay, fine. I believe-" He suddenly grunted as he held his head. Will stood up. Something was wrong.

"You okay, pal?" Aqua asked. Suddenly, Shadow threw his fist and smashed Aqua hard in the chest. He spun around and then, much to Flame's surprise, kicked him in the head, sending him tumbling. The girls got up and so did Caleb and Matt.

"Oh, no," Will gasped as Shadow Agito roared.

"I got him!" Matt called as he quickly changed into Shagon. Using his wings, he flew forward and tackled Shadow Agito with considerable force. The two stumbled backwards.

"What's going on?" asked Hay Lin. "He had it for a second."

"It must be like Gerald and Ian," Taranee reasoned. "He needs to get control."

"Then let's go!" Cornelia called as she began to fly towards the battle.

Shagon was not having a pleasant time in restraining Shadow Agito. The armored warrior was already pounding away at his back and those blows hurt!

Shadow Agito let out another roar as he raised his arm for another blow before Caleb came from the side and grasped his arm. He tried for his other arm for an attack, but vines immediately burst from the ground and caught it. More vines snaked up and took his other arm from Caleb.

"Ow," Aqua grumbled as he got up. "The guy packs a punch,"

"You okay?" asked Irma as she pulled the blue warrior to his feet. Taranee was doing the same for Flame Agito.

"Yeah," Aqua sighed. "Can't expect a guy to have perfect control on the first time,"

Shadow Agito continued to struggle against the vines Cornelia had used to restrain him. He was growling and trying to break free. Will took the moment to step forward.

"Careful, Will," Shagon spoke as he stood next to her. "He doesn't have complete control."

"He just needs someone to bring him out of it," Will insisted. "I'm the only one who's actually tried to be his friend so I'm the best one to try."

Will took a tentative step forward towards the crazed Agito. Shadow Agito looked up to her as he continued to breathe heavily. He thrashing slowed down a little.

" Adrian?" she asked. " Adrian, you've got to calm down. There's no reason to freak out. You're with friends. We're not going to hurt you."

"Will," Shadow spoke hoarsely with a choking sound. "Knock me…out. I'm…dangerous. You have to…stop me….before….I hurt…someone."

"Adrian, you aren't a monster," Will retorted. "You can control the Seed. Don't let the Seed control you."

Shadow Agito just fell silent with a low growl in his throat. His body was trembling as it appeared that he was struggling for control. The collected Guardians and Agito watched in suspense at whom they considered their friend (more so than others) struggle for control.

Eventually, the crystal in Shadow's belt began to shine. The light grew and grew until it engulfed his body. The light continued for a moment before dimming down to reveal Adrian. He was gasping for breath before dropping to his knees. Cornelia allowed the vines to let him go.

" Adrian!" Will cried as she and the others kneeled to help the dark boy up to his feet.

"Are you okay?" asked Caleb.

"I told you I couldn't do this," Adrian gasped to himself. "I can't even control my power."

"Well, you just need a little practice," Hay Lin offered.

"Sure," Adrian grumbled disbelievingly. He shrugged away from the others before stumbling away from the others. "Thanks for the lesson." Will could only watch sadly as Adrian departed.

* * *

Tyler Reeves was tending to his garden when his head started to throb in pain. He looked over the fence to see Adrian returning and saw the dejected look on his neighbor's face. Despite them not being friends, he couldn't help but feel sympathetic for Adrian.

He returned to his plants and sighed when he saw one of his plants hadn't grown much. Looking back and forth, he hovered a hand over the plant and watched as it began to grow. He was actually encouraging its growth until it grew to full health. Smiling, he began tending to the other plants, getting rid of weeds and whatnot.

* * *

Adrian fell back on his bed, deep in thought. Now he believed in Agito but only the more dangerous aspects of his newly acquired power. He could not control it. This was like his telekinesis all over again when he'd first found out. His telekinesis, he knew they held dangerous potential but now…he was an Agito and that power, he could feel it…it was untamed.

Why would Will even willingly want to help him even after all that? He yawned, exhausted from his experience, before closing his eyes. He needed to rest.

* * *

The Dark Figure had been watching from afar. "_So, the black Agito is hesitant to use his powers_." His eyes fell upon Tyler, "_And another potential. Well, let's see who else I can find to replace my fallen Otiga._"

He scanned the area and his eyes fell on a garbage truck. One of the garbage men got off and began to take the trash out of the cans before dumping them into the truck and then moving on. The Dark Figure smirked evilly. "_Perfect…_"

The garbage man, Roy, was picking up another bag when he felt something go through him. He froze and let out a silent scream as the Dark Figure took out his hand held up a white light before corrupting it, turning it into a dimmer purple light. The Dark Figure then plunged the dark purple light into Roy's heart before walking away as Roy stood motionlessly. He then shakily continued on with his work. "_The boy is still inexperienced with his power. It would be easy to destroy him._"

* * *

Adrian heard a knock on his door and without looking, thinking it was his mom, said, "Come in." The door creaked open and when he saw who came in, he suddenly sat up with a surprised look on his face. "Will?"

Will, in her normal human form, waved, "Hi. Your mom let me in. She seems nice."

"Yeah, she's like that," he said. There was an awkward silence between them for a few seconds. "So, how'd you find me or did you follow me from the sky?"

"I followed you," Will answered, "I was worried after you just walked off, you know…after what happened."

"Now you know you that I'm okay, you don't have to be worried." Adrian now had to ask, "Why?"

"Why what?" Will asked.

"Why do you even bother to help me? Most people usually give up after the first few tries but you just keep on trying. Why is that?" Adrian teased, "You got a crush on me or something?" Seeing the blush on Will amused him.

"N-No!" Will stuttered, glaring at him. "I'm a friend. I'm just worried!"

Adrian turned serious. "I knew a girl like you once. A very close friend of mine…or at least she was."

"What happened?" Will asked.

"It's a long story, but the short version was that I showed her my powers and she freaked out. That's why my family moved here."

Will frowned sadly, "I guess you and I are alike that way"

"Hm?"

"Let me tell you about why my mom and I moved here to Heatherfield…"

* * *

Tyler was tending to his herbs again when his headache began to pulse. He was quickly becoming agitated by the constant pain. Just why was his headache increasing like this? It couldn't be anything normal. Headaches don't just pulse in varying intensity like this without a reason.

The young man took a moment to massage his temple. The pain was not helping his day. He needed something to dull the pain. Luckily his herbs seemed more potent than the usual medicine that his parents tried giving him. Heaving a sigh, he stood up to get to a corner of his garden for the herbs he needed. That was when he noticed something.

There was someone prowling around the side of Adrian's house. He was wearing a green jumpsuit that Tyler easily recognized as belonging to the garbage men who did their weekly pickups. What the heck was this guy doing prowling around someone else's house? He was acting rather strange too. He was walking funny and every time he came to a window, he would peek inside for a moment before limping along. It didn't help Tyler's attitude that his headache had gotten worse as he set his eyes on the individual.

"Hey!" Tyler called over the fence to the man. The man stumbled around to look at Tyler. "Just what do you think you're doing? You're trespassing you know!"

The man just stared at Tyler for a moment. It was like he was trying to think of something to do. After a moment of apparent thinking, the man let out a low growl of a whisper.

"A…Gi…To," the garbage man spoke, pointing at Tyler.

"Huh?" Tyler quirked an eyebrow but then his eyes shot wide open as he saw black smoke surrounding the garbage man. Tyler muttered, "Definitely not normal." The smoke cleared away to reveal that the garbage man had changed into a humanoid rhinoceros. Green armor covered its forearms, shoulders and torso and there was a belt with a dull crystal in the centre. Flaps of armor also hung from the belt. Tyler stared at the Otiga's large fists and menacing horn. He gulped, "And now it has just gotten worse."

The Otiga bellowed and charged straight for Tyler.

* * *

As Will finished her explanation, Adrian suddenly dropped to his knees, holding his head and groaning in pain. Will asked, panicking, "Are you okay?" Suddenly, they both head a loud crash coming from outside.

"Something's…happening…" Adrian struggled as he pushed himself back to his feet. "Will, we need to move, now."

Will nodded. This might be a Lord and…

Suddenly they heard a loud crash and a scream. Adrian's eyes widened, "Mom!" Both Adrian and Will ran out of the room and down the stairs.

Adrian's mother was cornered as a creature resembling a rhino snorted as it stood near a hole in the wall. The kitchen was in a mess. "Mom!" Adrian shouted.

"Addy?" his mother, Clara, said. "No, stay back!"

Adrian narrowed his eyes as he glared at the Otiga. With a loud yell, he shouted, "Stay away from my mother!" He ran at the Otiga and the belt automatically appeared around his waist, much to Clara's shock. "Shadows of Agito! Transform!" He slammed his palms onto the sides of his belt and a bright light radiated from his belt before it faded and revealed Shadow Agito. The black clad Agito swung his fist and smashed it into the Otiga's face, sending it out of the house before he chased after it. Clara didn't know what to think after seeing her son change into an armored fighter and Will had no idea how she would explain it.

"Ma'am, are you okay?" Will asked as she approached Mrs. Carter.

"Addy…?" Clara said before she fainted. Will managed to grab her before she hit the floor. At least that solved the problem…for now.

* * *

Tyler managed to pick himself up after he had just been stampeded by a raging rhinoceros thing. He looked at his herbs and his eyes narrowed in anger. They had been stomped over by that thing! This could not be forgiven. His ears picked up a commotion as he turned to see the rhino-thing fighting what appeared to be a man in black armor. He saw the belt around the black clad fighter's waist and mumbled, "Why does that thing look so familiar?" Suddenly, a painful headache invaded his head as he groaned. "Ugh! Why now? Damn it!" A metal belt with a glowing yellow centre suddenly formed around his waist. As if with minds of their own, his hands slammed down onto the buttons located on the sides of the belt and his whole vision was blinded by a bright yellow flash.

Will was watching the fight between Shadow Agito and the Rhino Otiga. As she was about to call for her friends and use the Heart to transform, she noticed a bright yellow flash out of the corner of her eye coming from the neighbor's yard. Her eyes then widened with surprise as she saw what was coming out of the flash.

It was an Agito, clad in golden and silver armor with a black stone set in the centre of his chest and red eyes on his helmet. He then dashed towards the Otiga and landed a powerful punch to its face. Both Shadow and the golden Agito looked at each other before turning their gazes towards the Otiga who was bellowing in rage,

"AAAAGGGGGGIIIIIIITTTTTTOOOOOOOOOOO!!" It charged at them the sharp tip of its horn pointing at them.

The two Agito leaped to the sides as the beast went charging past them. The gold Agito was up to his feet alongside Shadow as they watched it slowly turn around.

"I don't suppose you know how to beat that thing?" the gold Agito asked. Shadow quickly turned to face his fellow Agito, recognizing his voice.

"Reeves?" asked Shadow with some belief.

"So it's you, Carter," the gold Agito sighed. "For some reason, I'm not really surprised. Back to my question though."

"Well, I'm told that I beat one of these things myself," Shadow replied. "We should be able to do that."

Will watched transfixed as the two Agito were talking to each other. They both seemed to be in control of their Seeds. That was great. Her eyes then turned back towards the Otiga which had finally managed to turn around and start charging again.

Both Agito had seen it coming as well. The gold Agito stepped forward to face the charging beast.

"First we'll need it to hold still," he spoke before holding his palm towards the charging beast.

The Otiga didn't seem to do anything, but then it started slowing down. It was halfway towards the two before it came to a complete stop. The road underneath it was beginning to crack while the Otiga groaned in protest.

"How'd you do that?" Shadow asked with some confusion.

"Gravity control," the gold Agito shrugged.

Both Agito turned to face the stilled Otiga. A metallic 'shing' echoed through the air as the horns of the two Agito's helmets spread open. Both of them took a battle stance as the symbol of the Agito appeared underneath them; a silver one for Shadow, and a yellow one for the gold Agito. Both Agito calmed their breathing as the energy was absorbed into them.

Both of them then dashed forward towards the Otiga with conviction. They both leaped straight up into the air with feet outstretched aimed for a kick. Shadow was in a flying kick while the gold Agito was aiming for a drop kick.

Both attacks landed squarely on the Otiga's head as the gold Agito released his hold on the gravity. The force of the two blows sent the Otiga flying. As it was tumbling on the ground, dark light seeped from its belt before turning bright. When the Otiga came to a stop, it writhed for a moment before exploding in a haze of fire which quickly dissipated. Roy was left behind after his monstrous form was defeated. Their horns then slid close as they turn to look at each other. Will ran out just in time to see their belts flash and to see them back in their human forms. Tyler saw the girl running over and asked, "Friend of yours?"

"I guess," Adrian shrugged.

" Adrian, you did it!" Will said, excitedly, "You controlled the Seed!"

"Seed?" Tyler asked.

"Long story," Adrian said. "But, we need to fix that," he pointed to the hole in his house. He turned to Will, "Can that necklace of yours fix my house?" Will shook her head.

"No," she said before apologizing, "Sorry."

"Mom is going to be asking questions," Adrian scratched his head. "But first to fix the problem with the hole." He looked around and saw the unconscious garbage man and then his truck. A smile formed on his lips that caused Will to cringe. "Guys, I got a plan."

* * *

Clara Carter's eyes slowly opened as she groaned in pain. She looked up to see that she wasn't in her kitchen as she stared up at a ceiling fan. She was also lying on a bed. Adrian hovered over her, "Mom, how are you feeling?"

"Addy?" she asked. "Where am I?"

"You're in the hospital, mom."

"Hospital…?" she was confused.

"Some idiot fell asleep at the wheel and drove a garbage truck into our house. The doctor said you're lucky to be even alive," he explained.

"I do remember…a loud crash," Clare recalled, the details slightly blurry. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, mom. Now, you just rest, OK?" Adrian smiled down on his mother who sighed and fell back to sleep. He then walked out of the ward. Waiting outside were Will and Tyler.

"How is she?" Will asked.

"She's fine," Adrian said, relieved but yet guilty for having to lie to her. "The doctors said she'll be here a few days. Enough time to patch up the wall."

"Good," Tyler said. "That was pretty smart of you to put that guy back into his truck and then using your telekinesis to put the truck in the hole. Of course, when the police find no skid marks…"

"It was the only thing I could think of, Reeves," Adrian snapped. "And it wasn't easy. That thing was heavy and it stunk. I got a headache just lifting it off the ground, nausea for being too close to the stink and a nosebleed carrying it."

"You could've asked me to make it lighter. I **do** control gravity."

"I do things **my** way…"

"You mean there are _four_ Agito now?" Hay Lin cried. She sounded almost excited.

"Why do you think we brought the new guy?" asked Adrian as he pointed at Tyler who was sitting across from him.

After Adrian, Tyler, and Will left the hospital, Will had called an emergency meeting for her friends. Taranee had let Ian know while Cornelia had brought Caleb. Will had let Matt know and Irma had called Gerald to let him know. Of course, when she was asked how she got Gerald's phone number, she broke out into a blush and tried some bad lie about the phone book.

Normally, she would have gotten teased about her incredibly obvious crush on Gerald, but they had bigger things to worry about.

"There was also another Lord attacking," Matt frowned slightly. "Will, why didn't you call any of us?"

"I didn't get much of a chance," Will shrugged helplessly. " Adrian was already leaping into the fray and Tyler was transforming as the idea came to me. By the time I would have let you guys know, they had taken the Lord down."

"So what can you do?" Cornelia asked Tyler. "I mean, so far we've seen that each Agito has a special power."

"Lady has a point," Gerald nodded. " Adrian has telekinesis, I can control water, and Ian is immune to burning temperatures."

"I can make plants grow at ridiculous rates," Tyler replied without any kind of reluctance. "When I changed into my Agito form, I discovered that I could manipulate gravity."

"So you have _two_ powers?" asked Taranee.

"Some guys have all the luck," Ian grumbled.

"So that makes you like the earth element," Irma commented. "Cornelia can make plants grow too so that element suits you. Besides, Gerald took water and Ian has fire."

"And I have earth," Tyler nodded. "Fair enough. Anyone has any ideas for a name for me then? With so many of you guys here, might as well find a way to identify myself when I transform."

"Terra Agito?" asked Hay Lin.

"Possibly," Tyler shrugged.

"Quake Agito?" suggested Caleb.

"Sounds a little strange to me," Tyler rejected.

"Gaia Agito," stated Cornelia.

"Hmm," Tyler pondered. "That actually sounds good. It suits me."

"Then it's settled," Hay Lin nodded. "Let's welcome Gaia Agito!" She clapped.

Adrian was watching the proceedings with a bored look in his eyes. He was remaining silent and trying to keep out of everyone's way.

"Why so quiet?" asked Will. Adrian withheld the urge to jump. Just how did this girl notice him so many times? "You're part of this too."

"Old habits die hard," Adrian shrugged. "Still, I can't say Agito doesn't exist anymore. It also seems that whoever is behind these attacks knows where I live. At the very least, if I don't learn about my power, then I'm a sitting duck."

"So you'll come back to practice with us?" Will asked expectantly.

"Why not," Adrian said. Will smiled. Matt watched the exchange as his eyes momentarily turned green.

* * *

**AGITΏ**


	5. Winds of Change

********

AGITΏ: Warriors of Creation.

The Silver Dragon restaurant was playing host to the Guardians of the Infinite Dimensions and the 4 Agito who were having one of their usual meetings. They had just returned from another training session and Yan Lin was providing dinner for them all. Adrian's mother Carla was staying in the hospital for some observation so Adrian was more or less alone since his father was overseas for the time being. Yan Lin offered him a place to stay, but the hole was patched up enough for someone to stay in the home for a few nights while the crews fixed it.

Also with the two groups were Matt and Caleb who were likewise eating with their friends and girlfriends.

"So you have to go back to Meridian?" asked Cornelia with disappointment in her voice.

"Yeah," Caleb sighed in disappointment. "I've got more than enough to make a report to the queen. She'll probably be expecting one pretty soon anyway."

"Excuse me, but what is Meridian?" asked Ian with some confusion.

"Ian, I told you this," Taranee replied. " Meridian is another world where we fought the Prince, Phobos."

"I haven't heard this story before," Tyler spoke up. "Sounds interesting."

"Not the word I'd use for it," Irma sighed, remembering the danger that went with fighting against Phobos.

"So, when do we leave?" Gerald asked.

"What do you mean 'we'?" Irma asked, although she knew what he was thinking.

"Why don't we go with you girls and see Meridian?" Gerald said.

"You know, that may not be such a bad idea," Will said.

"Traveling to other worlds," Adrian rolled his eyes. "As if my life hadn't gone completely insane already."

"It's not so bad once you get used to it, Adrian," Will said to him.

"Whatever you say, Will," Adrian said.

"Will we be meeting this queen?" Tyler asked curiously.

"Well, she is a friend of ours, and my best friend," Cornelia boasted. "I'm sure she'd like to see you."

"So, when do we leave?" Ian asked, repeating Gerald's question, a little nervous but also looking forward to this trip. "And how do we get there?"

"How about tomorrow?" Will said. "After school. It's Friday."

"Sounds like a plan," Gerald grinned. "You coming too, Matt?"

"You bet I am," Matt said, eyeing Adrian who didn't seem to notice. He wanted to keep an eye on the Agito since he was getting too close to his Will.

* * *

Unknown to the group, the Dark Figure had been listening in on their conversation. " _Meridian__? A new world…hm…this brings a lot more opportunities._" He would find a way to go to this other world and then…his lips broke into a smile…A sinister and malicious smile.

* * *

The next day, after classes were let out, Will led the Guardians, Caleb, Matt and the Agito to the back of the school. Will held up the Heart and created a fold in front of them.

"Are you sure that's safe?" Ian asked as he stared at the Fold.

"Perfectly safe," Taranee assured her cousin. "We've been through one of these things hundreds of time."

"A tear through the very fabric of reality," Tyler admired. "Impressive."

"So, who's going in first?" Will asked. Adrian was the first to step forward, showing no fear as he stepped through. "Okay…next?"

* * *

Oliver sighed as he sat by a tree and drew on his sketch book. It was his favorite past time, plus he could be alone to draw and commune with nature in the back of the school. He then heard people coming and hid behind the tree, peaking to see what was going on. His bespectacled eyes widened when he saw the red haired girl hold up a jewel and create a shining portal of some kind. He watched as they entered one by one, starting with the boy in black. He'd seen him around but was too scared to approach him. When the last person, the same red haired girl, entered, he decided to just see what was going on. He dashed straight towards the portal and jumped in right before it closed.

* * *

"Wow," Gerald said as he stepped out of the Fold. "So…this is Meridian?"

"Yup," Irma smiled. "It's a bit medieval but you'll grow to love it."

Adrian sniffed the air and pinched his nose, "What is that smell?"

The Guardians, Matt and Caleb knew and said in unison, "Blunk."

"Blunk?" the 4 Agito asked in unison.

"What's a 'Blunk'?" Tyler asked. They then saw a small goblin thing running towards them and then hugging Hay Lin around the leg.

"Girls back!" Blunk cried happily.

"I'm guessing that is a Blunk," Ian pointed.

"You don't say," Adrian said cynically.

"Okay, we're all here so let's close the-" Will began to say before something fell out at her feet. "Fold? Huh?"

"Ow, what a ride," Oliver said as he fixed his glasses. He looked up to see the people staring at him, "Oh, hi?"

Awkward silence…

"Who are you?" asked Caleb with some seriousness in his voice.

"Well…uh, my name's Oliver Chase," the boy answered. He seemed a little nervous, which was normal considering his situation.

Oliver wasn't a very tall boy. He was wearing a plain shirt with a pair of pants. He had a pair of glasses which were so thick they made his eyes look funny. He had black hair which was kept in a ponytail where a green streak could be visible. He kept a pencil neatly tucked on his ear.

"How did you follow us?" asked Will sternly.

"It was kind of hard to miss you," Oliver shrugged. "I was hiding behind a tree when you ripped that hole in the air. You all jumped through and I decided to follow."

"Why would you decide to follow?" asked Gerald incredulously. "Most people would run from that!"

"Are you kidding?" Oliver gaped. "Seeing actual magic stuff like this happening? There's no way I'm missing out!"

"Oh boy," Irma grumbled

"So uh," Oliver mumbled. "Where are we?"

"It doesn't matter. Just go home, runt," Adrian said as he crossed his arms. Oliver's left eyebrow twitched. If there ONE thing he hated to hear was people making fun of his height, or lack of it. He swung his leg as hard as he could and kicked Adrian in the shin. "Ow!" Adrian cried before his eyes fell upon the snickering bespectacled with an angry expression on his face. "Why you little-!" He went to grab Oliver but the smaller boy was fast, plus something shocking happened.

"Go away!" Oliver waved his hand in front of him and a gust of wind blew Adrian back a couple of feet. All of the others looked at the smaller boy in shock, Hay Lin especially.

"Wow, he's got powers like mine!" the oriental girl squealed.

"Alright, that's it!" Adrian got up, cracking his knuckles. "Time to squash the runt!" Oliver prepared to send Adrian flying again before Will stood between the two boys.

"Hold it, you two!" she said to both of them firmly. Oliver blew a raspberry at Adrian who was glaring back at him. She turned to look at Oliver gently, "Okay, Oliver, I think maybe you should go home."

"Um…Will?" Irma spoke up. "You might wanna take a look at his waist." Will did and her eyes widened. Around Oliver's waist was a metal belt with a green crystal lodged in the centre. As soon as Will blinked, it shimmered out of existence.

"Oh, that," Oliver chuckled, "That thing always shows up when I use my wind powers."

"Great," Adrian groaned, not believing this, "The kid's an Agito too."

"Uh…I'm a what now?" Oliver asked, not familiar with the term.

"An Agito," Ian explained, trying to be helpful. "Agito are people who develop supernatural powers. Eventually, they gain a suit of armor which boosts their natural abilities to really high levels."

"Not a bad explanation," Tyler stated.

"No kidding?!" Oliver cried. He looked like his birthday and Christmas had come together on the same day. At the group's nod, he began to start cheering. "Wahoo! This is the best day of my life!"

"Just perfect," Adrian sighed as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Of all the people to be an Agito."

"Aw, give the kid a chance," Matt shrugged. He liked the short kid already. "Saves us the trouble of finding him. He came to us."

"Since when were we looking for other Agito?" asked Cornelia.

"They seem to keep popping up so it stands to reason they're going to play a role in things," Matt shrugged. "I say, the more Agito who want to help the better."

"He has a point, Carter," Tyler reasoned.

Adrian knew Matt had a point so he didn't argue. It didn't mean he had to like it though. The short kid was definitely grinding on his nerves.

"Hunn," Brunk grunted from where he was firmly latched onto Hay Lin. "Who funny-looking boys?"

"They're friends, Blunk," Hay Lin explained. "They've been helping us."

"They have?" Blunk blinked. He then examined the boys who were collected with the girls. "They don't look tough."

"Hey, we're plenty tough!" Ian retorted hotly.

Blunk seemed to look skeptical, and Ian looked like he wanted to hit the little passling. The situation seemed to be a little tense before Tyler spoke up again.

"I'd hate to say this, but what are we going to do with Oliver?" he asked.

"What else?" asked Taranee. "We'll bring him with us."

"Really?" Oliver said, smiling widely, "Sweet!"

* * *

The Guardians led the boys towards the palace. They passed by several people who immediately recognized the girls. Excited whispers ran rampant and a lot of people were waving and calling out greetings.

"Why are people staring?" Gerald asked.

"Oh, we're kinda like big shot heroes," Irma told him. "It's like one of the perks when you save another dimension from an evil tyrant."

"Caleb!" a large blue 'man' came and approached the Guardians before pulling the rebel leader into a hug.

"Hey, Vathek," Caleb greeted. "You can put me down now." Vathek did so.

"Hey, you've been away for awhile. We've missed you," Vathek said, smiling sheepishly.

"And I've missed you too, big guy," Caleb chuckled. "So, where's my dad?"

"He's with the queen," Vathek said. He saw the Guardians, "Oh, you're all here too! Her Highness will be happy to see you!"

"We're happy to see Elyon too," Cornelia said.

He then noticed the 5 new boys with the Guardians. "Um…who are these?"

"They're friends who have been helping us out," Will explained, "Which is why it's important that we see Elyon. There's trouble in our world."

"Say no more," Vathek said. "Follow me."

The Agito then spoke.

"Um…was that guy blue?" Gerald asked.

"No, it was only your imagination," Adrian rolled his eyes.

"That's Vathek. He guards the prison," Caleb said.

"You know some pretty interesting people, Taranee," Ian commented.

"Comes with the job," Taranee said to him.

"What are we waiting for!?" Oliver jumped up and down. "Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!"

"You're pretty hyper, aren't ya?" Tyler asked as Oliver chased after Vathek.

"We better catch up before he gets himself into trouble," Hay Lin said as she ran after Oliver, followed by the rest of the group.

"Keep far away," Adrian warned Blunk.

* * *

The group reached the palace and Oliver's eyes widened behind his thick glasses as he admired the structure. "Wow…looks like something out of a fairy tale."

"It has that effect on most people," Hay Lin said.

"So, this is where your friend, the queen, lives?" Gerald asked Irma. He whistled, "This is some prime real estate."

"I like the architecture," Tyler commented.

The doors opened and the guards let them pass. However, said guards were well…Sandpit and Gargoyle. They were former enemies but now guarded the palace entrance for Elyon. They looked intimidating, especially Gargoyle who still looked as hideous as ever. Thankfully, he was now on their side which was a relief. The new boys were not really convinced, though.

"Relax," Taranee said to Ian soothingly, "They're harmless." She added mentally, '_At least they are now_.' Ian gulped as he saw Gargoyle looking at him.

"Is that a…" Gerald began to say as he looked at Sandpit but Irma grabbed his hand.

"Yep, it's a sand giant. So, stop pointing and let's go," Irma dragged him inside.

Oliver was looking at both Sandpit and Gargoyle. He waved at them before following the rest of the group. Will, Matt and Adrian were near the back, along with Blunk.

"So, what kind of person is this Queen Elyon?" Adrian asked curiously. "Or is that gonna be a long story too?"

"You'll know once we meet her," Will said.

The group soon reached the throne room where Elyon was waiting for them. The throne next to hers was empty. Her adopted parents Miriadel and Alborn stood by along with Caleb's dad, Julian. Behind the throne stood the intimidating figure of Raythor, the queen's bodyguard. Elyon had an expectant smile on her face and she looked pretty eager to get out of her seat.

"Elyon!" Cornelia cried out happily as she broke off from the others.

"Cornelia!" the young queen cried at an equal pitch before leaping from her seat. The two dashed towards each other before embracing each other warmly.

The remaining girls followed their blonde friend as they ran to greet the young queen. Caleb smiled at the sight before moving to greet his own father warmly.

The boys were left standing near the entrance of the throne room while their friends caught up with their friend.

"Shouldn't we be bowing or something?" Ian asked with uncertainty.

"Under normal circumstances, maybe," Tyler shrugged. "I don't think these are normal circumstances though."

"I'm not a fan of bowing anyway," Adrian shrugged.

"Don't look at me for anything," Matt shrugged. "This is my first time here."

"I think it's kind of cool that they're friends with a queen," Gerald commented, throwing his two cents in. "This will be an awesome trip!"

Oliver was a little quiet for a change. When he saw Elyon for the first time he found that it was hard to say anything. Oh sure, he was a little shy around girls in general, but after seeing Elyon he just lost his voice. Seeing her smile so brightly when she saw her friends made his voice vanish altogether.

"Nothing to say?" Adrian asked the stunned boy.

'_She's beautiful,_' Oliver wanted to say, but only his thoughts managed to put the words together.

"Oh it's been so long!" Elyon smiled as she stepped back from her friends. "You guys should visit more often!"

"You know how hectic school can be," Irma sighed. "Besides, we've been busy."

"Yeah, Caleb mentioned that," Elyon nodded, her face turning a little more serious. "He didn't have a whole lot of information though. Just guys called Agito and things called Lords."

"Well, we've got a whole lot more information for you now!" Hay Lin smiled brightly.

"Does it have anything to do with those boys at the back of the room?" asked Julian curiously.

"Sure does," Taranee nodded. "One of them is Matt, who's also one of the three Regents of Earth. But the other five are actual Agito!"

"Really?" Elyon blinked. She then turned to the boys. "Well, come on over. I'd like to know the guys who Caleb said could beat Lords up by themselves!"

Looking to each other for a moment, the boys walked forwards to properly face Elyon. Matt walked over to Will. Elyon went back to her throne and stood in front of it. Of course, as the boys were walking, Oliver's nervousness began to grow and he actually managed to trip and fall on his face. His glasses landed a short distance in front of him.

"Ow!" Oliver cried before he started reaching for his glasses. "Shoot! I can't see a thing without my glasses."

"I got them," Elyon called out as she hurried over to the thick spectacles and picked them up.

"Thanks, Your Majesty," Oliver muttered with some embarrassment as he stood up.

Elyon was about to place the glasses on his face when she found herself looking into Oliver's eyes. They were a shade of green that was usually found on emeralds. A small hint of red came over her face as she gazed into Oliver's eyes. She brought herself out of it, but the blush was still on her face.

"Um…call me Elyon," the young queen mumbled as she slipped the glasses onto Oliver's face. "I don't like to be called Majesty by my friends."

The girls watched the exchange with some small hidden giggles. It looked like the Queen of Meridian was just bitten by the love bug. Cornelia had to use all her willpower to keep from teasing her best friend.

"Anyway…" Elyon began, "Tell me your names, please." Her eyes were on Oliver for a moment, eager to know the young boy's name.

"Adrian Carter."

"Gerald Matthews."

"Ian Cook."

"Tyler Reeves."

Oliver stuttered, not being able to meet Elyon's gaze before he spoke, "O…Oliver Chase." Elyon smiled.

"It's great to meet you all. So, what is an Agito, really?"

"How about we show you?" Gerald suggested. "Maybe a little demonstration can shed some light on what we are and what we can do!"

"Sounds good," Tyler agreed.

"Heh," Adrian shrugged, arms crossed, "Whatever."

Oliver couldn't wait to see what an Agito was. Maybe he could do the same thing too.

* * *

Out of a swirling black portal the Dark Figure walked out. With him was a smaller figure, draped under a dark cloak. The Dark Figure looked around and grimaced in disgust, "_Peace, happiness and tranquility…how revolting_." In one direction, he felt something else, "_What's this? Hatred? Anger? Sadness? So…delicious. I wonder what's over there_." He turned to address the cloaked figure behind him. "_Blend in and seek those Agito and their allies and destroy them. If you find any potential power source, bring it to me. And take this too._" The Dark figure handed the cloaked figure a small black orb. "_Use it to create chaos_." The cloaked figure bowed in understanding as the Dark Figure looked towards the direction where he'd felt such dark emotions, "_Time to go shopping_."

* * *

The 5 boys all stood side by side. Oliver was watching the other 4 nervously and eagerly, copying their motions. He was able to summon the belt around his waist like them. _'So far so good…Now, can't embarrass myself in front of Elyon_.'

The first 4 Agito crossed their arms and Oliver followed them.

Adrian began, "Shadows of Agito…"

Gerald followed, "Waters of Agito…"

Ian was next, "Flames of Agito…"

Tyler afterwards, "Grounds of Agito…"

"TRANSFORM!" the 4 called in unison as they slammed their palms onto the buttons flanking their belts. There was a burst of blinding light released from their belts, forcing everyone to cover their eyes. When the light faded away, in the places of the 4 boys were the four Agito, donned in their armor. They all looked identical, save for their colors.

Shadow Agito…Aqua Agito…Flame Agito…and Gaia Agito stood before the Queen of Meridian.

The people who had never seen this were shocked, jaws wide open and eyes as huge as dinner plates. The only kind of transformation they had witnessed that came close was when Will and the others took on their Guardian forms.

Elyon was just as surprised as all the others and had a huge smile on her face, "Amazing!" Her eyes then fell onto Oliver. He hadn't transformed yet. "Oliver?"

He had been pressing the buttons repeatedly and only managed a weak 'whir' sound from his belt and occasional blinking. No bright flashes or armor appeared. "What is wrong with this thing?" Oliver asked himself. "Come on, work already."

Shadow Agito snorted, "Thought so. Kid hasn't even fully awakened yet. I knew he was a useless runt." Oliver heard this but looked down in disappointment. He then walked off, head down.

"Harsh, man," Aqua Agito said to Shadow. Shadow ignored him but then caught the disappointed look Will was giving him. Now he just felt guilty for making fun of Oliver. How did she do that?

* * *

Oliver just left himself to walk the palace hallways as he wallowed in his own disappointment. He really wanted to make a good impression on Elyon and changing into an Agito would have been a great way to do it. Only his powers were too weak. Some Agito he was.

"Oliver!" someone called out. The bespectacled boy turned around before his eyes widened to see Elyon following her.

"E-Elyon?" he blinked. "What are you doing here?"

"It's my palace, silly," Elyon smiled. "I can go anywhere I want."

"Well…uh, I know that, but I mean…" Oliver managed to sputter.

"Don't listen to what Adrian said, okay?" Elyon spoke up, cutting off Oliver's chatter. "He doesn't know what he's talking about."

"But I **am** useless," Oliver huffed. "All I can do is make gusts of wind."

Elyon frowned sadly at Oliver's down looked. It really upset her seeing him this way, especially after seeing how happy and exuberant he was when he entered the throne room. She really wanted to make him feel better. She even knew a good way.

"Hey," she spoke softly, catching Oliver's attention again. "Would you like to take a walk with me?"

Oliver's face started turning red.

* * *

"I can't believe you, Adrian!" Will scolded Adrian in cozy reception room where the Guardians and Agito were waiting. Matt was with them too. Elyon had gone after Oliver while Julian had directed the group to someplace they could relax while they waited for her to return. Caleb was with his dad to explain the things happening on Earth concerning the Agito and these new enemies known as Lords.

"You didn't have to be so mean to him!" Cornelia added. "Especially when he was trying to make a good impression on Elyon!"

"The kid just rubs me the wrong way," Adrian sighed darkly.

"Like that's an excuse," Matt remarked. "Criticism is one thing, but tearing him down like that?"

"Oliver is too naïve for this," Adrian grumbled. "He was acting like a kid all the way here. Even if he had full Agito powers, how long do you think he would last against a Lord?"

"Need I remind you that none of us really knew how to use our Agito powers, fight, or any kind of magic and here we are standing victorious over several Lords?" retorted Gerald.

"Here's a dumb question," Ian suddenly spoke up. Everyone's attention was suddenly turned to him. "I understand being embarrassed in front of a queen, but why was Oliver trying so hard in the first place?"

"Ugh," Irma sighed. "I swear boys can be so blind sometimes."

"Then enlighten us," Tyler commented from a tome he had pulled off a shelf.

"It's because Oliver is crushing on Elyon!" Cornelia almost cried out. "And if the way Elyon was gazing at him then I think the feeling is mutual!"

"And Oliver seems like a really nice guy too!" Hay Lin nodded. "He'd be really good for her."

"How would you know?" asked Adrian. "You've never met before. Come to think of it, no one has really seen him around have they?"

There was a silence in the room. The only sound heard were the pages of the book Tyler was reading being turned. The silence continued until the one reading said book decided to speak.

"I've seen him around," he spoke. "He doesn't get noticed a lot because of his height. He's always either sitting near trees or in the art classroom during lunch. He's usually always sketching something."

"How do you know?" asked Ian.

"I was curious at one point," Tyler shrugged, eyes not leaving the book. "So I asked."

The group fell silent again before Will turned back to Adrian, "You still owe him an apology."

"I guess I do," Adrian sighed as Will's gaze was making him feel guilty again. "Hopefully someone finds him so I can make it."

* * *

"Wow," Oliver gasped as he and Elyon entered the royal gardens. The young queen had a firm grip on Oliver's arm as she led him though the path into the picturesque scenery.

"It's petty nice isn't it?" Elyon smiled brightly.

"Nice doesn't even begin to cover it," Oliver chuckled.

The two continued to walk in shy silence for a while. Oliver wasn't used to being close to a girl like this and Elyon was finding her usual brashness was failing her. She just didn't know what to say.

"I heard on the way here there was a pretty big adventure involving you," Oliver spoke, trying to find something to talk about and keep from choking on his tongue.

"Oh," Elyon nodded. "Yes. There was. My brother Phobos was the one responsible mostly. He's at the prison with some of his followers now. He was a very powerful sorcerer. I'm glad he can't hurt people anymore."

"Wow," Oliver blinked. "You must be good with magic if you could beat him."

"Um," Elyon blushed. "It…it wasn't all me. Cornelia and the others played a big role. Caleb too. Without them, I think Phobos might have won."

"Wow," Oliver blinked. He then sighed. "At least you were able to help and have a great adventure at the same time. Besides my wind powers I'm only good at making drawings."

"How good are you?" Elyon asked curiously.

"See for yourself," Oliver smiled as he pulled out some folded pieces of paper. He always kept supplies in his pockets because one never knew when a great subject could come up.

Elyon took the papers and gasped when she saw them. They were so detailed! They all depicted nature scenes, but some had animals or people in them. She could almost swear they were photos.

"My photographic memory really helps when the subjects move," Oliver grinned sheepishly.

"These are amazing!" Elyon gushed. "You're so good!"

"You really think so?" Oliver blushed. He wasn't used to receiving praise from outside his family.

"Yes!" Elyon nodded rapidly.

"Um," Oliver's blush deepened. "Then…can I ask something?"

"Sure," Elyon replied. Why was Oliver blushing?

"Could I…sketch you?"

Elyon 'eep'ed before her own face started turning red as well.

* * *

The cloaked figure arrived in a place where a large collection of people were. It was a marketplace. It took out the orb its master had given it before holding it up. It radiated with dark energy. Without warning, it threw the orb down. It shattered into a million pieces, releasing black smoke.

Screaming soon followed. The Dark Figure's minion was setting its sights on the palace now as black smoke surrounded its body too. "A…Gi…To…"

* * *

As the Guardians, the Agito, and Matt waited for either Elyon or Oliver to return, Caleb burst through the door. Will, being leader, immediately asked, "What's going on?"

"Guys," he began speaking, "There are monsters, black insects, attacking the marketplace. The guards have been sent to drive them off but there are too many."

The Agito all clutched their heads in pain and groaned. The Guardians knew what this meant. Adrian's eyes narrowed as he looked to the other Agito, "Let's go, guys." He could feel that this was a Lord's work. He wasn't sure how, but he did.

"Right," Will raised up the Heart, "Guardians, Unite!"

The Agito shouted out in unison, "Transform!"

* * *

As Oliver was sketching Elyon, gazing at her through his glasses. Suddenly, he felt a throbbing pain in his head. He grunted in pain as he placed a hand to his head. Elyon looked concerned. "Oliver, you okay?"

"I'm fine," Oliver smiled as the pain lessened. "Happens a lot. It's nothing." Elyon wasn't convinced but then posed for him again. She wanted to see the finished sketch. As they were sitting though, a black shape hovered overhead. Its red eyes were boring down on the partly dormant Agito and the Queen of Meridian. It had its orders so now it would act on them.

Aqua Agito spun his trident around as he jab through one of the monsters and watched as it evaporated into smoke. "Okay, just how many have we taken down?"

Irma blasted a few back with water, "I think I lost count! There's too many of them!"

Will had transported them all into the marketplace to see a sea of chaos and fear. Black monsters resembling humanoid ants were scurrying around, destroying anything they could get their claws on. None of them sported the belts of the Otiga but the Agito still got the same feeling from them like they were. The guards were aiding them.

Shagon destroyed a few with eyebeams as Shadow Agito used his fists to send some to oblivion. Gaia Agito had summoned his weapon. It was a huge war hammer with an axe blade attached to the back of it. He was either smashing these things to oblivion or chopping them to pieces. Caleb an Cornelia were with him, the former rebel leader slashing with a sword and blocking with a shield as Cornelia sent the things flying with telekinesis.

"What are these things anyway?" Gaia asked as Flame was using his flaming swords to slice the ones he was fighting in half. In the midst of the battle, Flame had discovered that he could summon two swords so now he was holding both of them as he slashed the monsters apart. Taranee was throwing fireballs at them and they evaporated into smoke.

"They're easy to beat, I'll tell you that," Shadow said as a kick to the head destroyed one of the ant things. "Too bad they are a lot of them to beat down."

Will was using the Heart and zapping with lightning bolts. However, in the back of her mind, she had a strange feeling that something was off. She didn't have time as one of the ant creatures tackled her to the ground.

"Will!" both Shadow and Shagon shouted before they attacked the thing. Shagon blasted it and Shadow finished it off with a punch through the chest. Since Shadow was closer, he helped Will up, much to Shagon's chagrin.

"Are you okay?" the black clad Agito asked her.

"Thanks," Will said before she continued to fight again.

The strange feeling still bothered her but what was it?

* * *

"There," Oliver said as he slipped the pencil onto his ear. "Finished."

"Let me see," Elyon said as she walked over. She sat down next to him to admire his handiwork. "Wow," she gasped. It looked so lifelike. "Oliver…you're really talented. I could never have drawn something like this."

"You draw too?" Oliver asked, curiously. "Can I see them?"

Elyon blushed. "They're…not really good." She was playing with her braid.

"Let me be the judge of that," Oliver said. Elyon smiled brightly before getting up.

"Okay, you wait here and I'll get my sketchbook." As Elyon was about to leave, a black shape suddenly swooped down and grabbed her. It happened so fast and Oliver didn't even have time to react. The black shape then swooped away, carrying a frightened Elyon with it.

"ELYON!" Oliver yelled.

* * *

Cornelia's head snapped up after she used a vine to crush one of the ant creatures. "Elyon's in trouble!" she suddenly said.

"What?" Gaia said after smashing an ant monster down. "How do you know?"

"It's a feeling!" Cornelia said. "She needs our help!"

"Easier said than done, Corny," Aqua said. "We're knee deep in a bug problem here! They just keep coming!"

* * *

Oliver could only stand and watch as Elyon was taken by what looked like a large black bird. He punched the ground, "I'm so useless! What can I do?" As if by some kind of response,the belt slowly formed around his waist. He muttered, "Great…you show up when you don't even work." However, he stood back to his feet. He looked at where the creature had gone. "No…I have to save her. Alright! Here I go!" He slammed his palms down onto the buttons flanking his belt and he was soon bathed in a bright green light.

* * *

As less and less of the ant creatures were found, the Guardians and Agito heard a shrill caw cut through the air mixed with a frightened scream.

Cornelia was the first to look up and her eyes widened in pure fright at what she saw.

"ELYON!!"

A considerable distance above the ground, there was what the Guardians and Agito easily recognized as what they thought was a Lord. It was a mass of black feathers with obsidian armor covering the chest, shins, and forearms. A pair of black feathery wings kept it aloft while its head was crow-like with a jagged beak.

"Oh no!" Will gasped in fear.

"Just what we need," Aqua frowned behind his helmet.

"What are we going to do?" asked Hay Lin in some panic. "Who knows what that thing will do if we try to go up there!"

"We're going to have to risk it!" Cornelia hissed. "No way am I going to let that thing get away with my friend!"

Before the Guardian of Earth could make an attempt to reclaim her friend, something else decided to intervene on her behalf.

It looked like a green blur for a moment, but it was flying at a very fast speed towards the Crow Otiga, making it look like it was almost standing still. The green blur was upon the Crow Otiga in a heartbeat. To the shocked eyes of the people who watched their queen/friend's life hang in the balance, the green blur hit the Crow Otiga in the back, causing it to drop the frightened queen.

"No!" Cornelia cried in fright.

The green blur immediately ignored the Otiga before diving down to the falling royalty before enveloping her in itself and heading to the ground. As it got closer, the winds began to pick up violently before the blur came to the ground and let the winds die, revealing who was inside.

To the shock of those who knew of the Agito, it was yet another Agito. The difference was that this one was donned in green armor that was trimmed in silver. He had bright blue eyes and there was a blue rectangular stone embedded in his chest. Around his waist was a silver belt with a green stone. However, the most shocking feature was that this green Agito had WINGS! Feathery, emerald wings!

Elyon blinked with some confusion at the man whose arms she was in. She looked up to the sapphire orbs that seemed to radiate concern and tenderness. She recognized him on the spot.

"Oliver," she smiled.

"That's my name, don't wear it out," the green Agito chuckled, further shocking the Guardians and other Agito. He could control it already?!

"You've got to be kidding me," Shadow grumbled to himself.

"How did you make yourself look so blurry?" Irma blinked with some confusion.

"Oh, I just made a small tornado around me," the green Agito shrugged. "Makes it really hard to see just what the heck I am." He then looked up to see the Crow Otiga cawing in a moment to set the queen down he turned to the others. "Excuse me. I got a big bird to take care of." His wings spread out behind him before he took off, blowing dust everywhere.

The Crow Otiga had lost its prey when all of a sudden it saw a green object headed its way. It let out a pain filled squawk as the green thing slammed into it. The green thing then turned back around before hitting it again. The green blur continued to hit the Otiga repeatedly before it suddenly grabbed it and then started diving down to the ground.

Will shouted, "Everyone, take cover!"

The Otiga and the green blur, which was obviously the new green Agito, smashed straight into the ground, causing a cloud of dirt to erupt. The dirt cloud settled to reveal the green Agito walking out. His wings retracted into his back as he approached Shadow Agito.

Will nudged the black clad warrior who shrugged. Shadow hesitantly approached the green Agito. "Oliver, I'd like to-OW!!" Shadow Agito howled as the green Agito just stomped him on the foot. "What was **that** for!?" he demanded, hopping on one leg.

"**That** was for calling me a useless runt," the green Agito reminded. "And the name's _Cyclone_ Agito."

Cawing could be heard as the Otiga got back to its feet. It screeched out loud at the collective Agito and Guardians. Cyclone Agito sighed and slammed both palms to the sides of his belt before pulling his weapon out of the void forming in front of his belt. It was a crossbow. He spun swiftly and shot the Otiga with an energy arrow. It let out a pain filled squawk as Cyclone Agito continued to shoot it. The Otiga was far from stupid and saw it was now outnumbered so it took the easy way out and flew straight into the sky to escape.

"Oh, no you don't!" Cyclone Agito said before his crest horns spread open. A green Agito symbol glowed underneath his feet before being absorbed into his body. His crossbow began to glow with energy as he aimed at the Crow Otiga. "Gotcha," he said before he pulled the trigger. A green energy arrow shot out of the crossbow and sailed through the air with the speed of a rocket. It hit its target directly in the belt, causing the Otiga to screech in pain as it fell and crashed.

The Crow Otiga thrashed on the ground erratically as the light from its belt grew brighter and brighter before the creature exploded in a fiery blaze. The flames subsided to reveal a woman, lying unconscious.

"A human?" Cyclone Agito asked, confused, as his crest horns closed.

"The Lords we've been fighting seem to created from normal humans," Gaia said. "We don't know how or what's even doing this. We know why, though."

"To hunt down others like us," Cyclone Agito realized. He then remembered. "Oh, Elyon." He walked over to the young Queen of Meridian. "Are you okay? Did that thing hurt you by any chance?" As soon as he asked that, he changed back to human form in a flash of light and was back to his shorter self. He whined, "Aw, man…I actually liked being tall."

"Join the club," Gerald said, his own armor vanishing as did the others.

Oliver then turned his attention towards Elyon who suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck in appreciation. His face turned red as she whispered, "Thank you for saving me, Oliver." She then kissed him on the cheek, which caused his face to turn even bright red. The Guardians giggled at the display while the boys, even Adrian, smiled.

"Now AGITO is all together!" Hay Lin cheered.

"Huh?" asked Ian with some confusion, "What do you mean?"

"You know!" Hay Lin smiled. "Like WITCH; **W**ill, **I**rma, **T**aranee, **C**ornelia and **H**ay Lin. The first letters of our names spell WITCH."

"**A**drian, **G**erald, **I**an, **T**yler, and **O**liver," Tyler nodded in amusement. "A-G-I-T-O. Hay Lin is right. Our initials do spell AGITO. What a coincidence."

"Right!" Hay Lin nodded. "I noticed it when you were introducing yourselves to Elyon."

"Well then," Adrian shrugged. "Long live AGITO."

The boys each gave their own cheer for the christening of their merry little band. It seemed that things were looking up.

Celebrations were halted as Vathek ran towards them. Caleb saw the expression on his face and approached his friend, "Vathek, what's wrong?"

"They've escaped!" Vathek answered, panicking.

* * *

**AGITΏ**


	6. Jailbreak

**AGITΏ: Warriors of Creation.**

"They've escaped," were the words Vathek uttered, voice and face filled with panic. The Guardians froze when they heard this. Without a word, celebrations were halted as Will assumed her role as leader of the Guardians.

"Who?" she asked and thus Vathek explained.

The answer Vathek gave sent chills down the girls' spines; them along with every other person who had ever heard of them. The AGITO were somewhat lost as everyone around them seemed to become afraid. Elyon clutched onto Oliver's arm even tighter.

"Okay, what's happening?" asked Ian with some confusion.

"We'll explain on the way," Will said seriously. She then turned back to Vathek. "Come on. We'd better get to the prison."

Vathek nodded before he gestured for the others to follow him. The Guardians stuck close while the AGITO continued following them. Elyon and Caleb went with them as well. This was something serious that everyone needed to investigate.

* * *

The Guardians as well as their allies were quick to arrive at the prison. The AGITO who had never been to this place found themselves looking up at the holding facility in awe. It was definitely a place that they themselves didn't want to get held in It looked like it could hold some of the worst criminals out there.

"Woah," Gerald whistled as he looked around at the cells. "This place puts Alcatraz to shame."

"What's Alcatraz?" Caleb asked Cornelia.

"An island prison near San Francisco," Cornelia told him, "Where the worst of the worst were kept."

"Can we talk about famous prisons later?" Adrian spoke seriously as he followed after Will and Matt. He then asked, "So...who are these guys that escaped?"

"Miranda, Cedric and Frost," Will told him. "Old enemies."

Elyon was silent as she walked, Raythor close to protect her. He was quick to appear after the news of Elyon's attempted capture spread through the palace. She held tightly onto Oliver's arm, who stood close by her. He was her Agito now. He promised her that. It was a promise that he was intending to keep.

The group quickly arrived at where the breakout had occurred. Three cells were empty, their energy bars gone. Of course, there was one jail cell still occupied. It was a relief he was still locked up but the Guardians did not want to see this...man ever again.

"So, you've come to visit, have you?" Phobos said as he walked into the light. "And my sister too. How nice." He smirked and Elyon shivered. Oliver held her hand tightly, "And I see you've made some new friends. So much company today."

"We didn't come here to chat, Phobos," Will spoke with a frown. "We want to know what happened here."

"And why should I tell you anything?" Phobos questioned. "What do I get in return?"

"I just met this guy and he's already rubbing me the wrong way," Ian grumbled.

"You ain't the only one," Gerald agreed, eyes narrowed at one of the Guardians' most hated foes.

"I could just probe your mind," Taranee said, "But I don't wanna know what goes on in that twisted head of yours."

"Listen, Phobos," said Will, "Whoever broke Miranda, Cedric and Frost out didn't think you were worth much." Will smirked as she saw Phobos' face twist in anger, "I mean, you're a prince but this guy or whatever just took your lackeys and not you. That must suck. I guess you aren't so great after all."

Phobos exploded, "I TOOK OVER A KINGDOM AND WOULD'VE TAKEN IT OVER AGAIN IF IT WEREN'T FOR YOU GUARDIANS!!"

"I bet it didn't help that you got your butt kicked by a bunch of girls, right?" Adrian jeered, causing some of the girls to laugh. Elyon couldn't help but laugh too. Phobos sent a glare at Adrian that could have melted steel. Adrian was used to heated glares so it affected him little.

"Why not tell us who did this?" Caleb questioned.

Phobos crossed his arms, "Well, I don't know. He was covered in darkness and said a few words to those three before he removed them from their cells and took them away."

"Where?" Will asked.

"I don't know!" Phobos insisted. "I didn't ask!"

Will took a moment to think. And then she reasoned, "This was all planned. The attack at the marketplace, Elyon's attempted kidnapping...it was all a ruse."

"A distraction so that someone could come into the prison when it was unguarded!" Caleb realized. "Of course."

"So, the guy who's been sending the Lords broke three cons out of jail," Matt surmised.

"But why?" Irma questioned. "I mean, why them and not Phobos here?"

"I guess that's the part we need to find out." Will frowned.

"We can figure it out later," Adrian commented. "I think me and the other Agito need to know exactly who these three are and what they are capable of."

"Right," Irma nodded. "You guys don't know who these three are."

"Not to mention we still need to figure out who this guy who broke them out is," Hay Lin added.

"Right," Elyon nodded. "We can discuss that back at the palace."

"Oh, I'm hurt, little sister," Phobos chuckled. "Leaving so soon? I'm so very hurt."

"Shut up," Oliver growled. "Scum like you doesn't deserve to even look at her."

Elyon was surprised by the force behind Oliver's words, but they also made her feel secure as she held onto his arm.

* * *

Walking through the natural scenery of Meridian, there were four figures traveling along. The one on the lead was donned in a black cloak which hid his appearance from view. Following him were two men and a girl who looked like she was the same age as the Guardians and the AGITO.

"Okay, we're free," Frost spoke bitterly. "So why are we walking through here?"

"_Getting some distance,_" the figure answered. "_You didn't have to come._"

"I wouldn't have if you told me you weren't going to break out Prince Phobos!" Frost growled angrily.

"_Phobos is an arrogant and blind fool,_" the figure snorted. "_He sees himself as the top of the heap when in fact there are so many more powerful forces out there who only need the incentive to topple him. The Guardians are a very good example._"

"Don't talk about them!" Miranda scowled angrily.

"How'd you even know about them anyway?" asked Cedric.

"_Telepathy is a wonderful thing,_" the figure chuckled as he tapped his head with a cloak-covered hand. "_I just had to see if you had any experience with the Guardians when I met you. Now I know at least what they are._"

"If you read our minds then why didn't you break Prince Phobos out?!" Frost demanded. "His power would…"

"_Be useless,_" the figure growled. "_I have no use for a pompous windbag with delusions of grandeur. I came to you three because I felt your abilities and experience with facing the Guardians would be useful._"

"So you want us as lackeys?" Cedric crossed his arms. "What's in it for us?"

"_Besides vengeance on the Guardians?_" asked the figure. He felt amusement at seeing the three criminals stiffen at the though. "_How about because I am offering you the power to accomplish that goal?_"

"Almost sounds too good to be true," Miranda said, feeling skeptical at this Dark Figure's offer. "If you can give us that power, why bother?"

"_Because my goals are being slowed down by the efforts of the Guardians and their new allies,_" the figure explained. "_The allies are one thing, but I have no experience in dealing with the Guardians. That's where you come in._"

"Allies?" asked Cedric. "What kind of allies?"

"_A very powerful kind,_" the figure answered. "_Tell me, are any of you familiar with the term 'Agito'?_"

* * *

"So both Miranda and Cedric are shape-shifters," Adrian sighed as he and the rest of AGITO were informed on the breakouts. "Frost was one of these Knights of Vengeance who wanted to put Phobos back on the throne."

"Yes," Will nodded.

The girls of WITCH and the boys of AGITO returned to the palace and were holed up in a conference room. Elyon, Caleb, and Raythor had entered with them. Caleb was sticking close to Cornelia while Elyon took a head seat with Oliver sitting as close to her as he could. Gerald sat across from Irma and Matt was next to Will, holding her hand underneath the table, lending his support.

"But that doesn't make sense," Tyler frowned. "If Frost wanted to see Phobos on the throne again then why leave him behind?"

"Maybe it's because this guy didn't have any use for Phobos," Taranee suggested.

"I really didn't want to have to fight those guys again," Hay Lin grumbled depressingly.

"Then there's this jail breaker himself," Ian added. "This guy apparently can create Lords and whatever those ant things were that were messing up the marketplace."

"But how is he able to do it?" wondered Elyon. "I mean, how could he break open the cells like he did? They were made to hold any prisoners in."

"They were made to keep people in," Caleb said. "But we never expected anyone to break in rather than break out."

"This is getting really serious guys," Irma spoke. "Do you think we should go to the Oracle about this?"

Will was silent for a moment as she considered the option. It was really the only option at the moment. Three powerful criminals had escaped with the help of some unknown person. Mix in his apparent ability to create Lords and the situation was ready to go critical.

"I think we'll have to," Will sighed. "I think it's about time we go to Kandrakar."

"Kandrakar?" Gerald blinked. "Is this another one of these worlds that you girls seem to frequent?"

"Yeah," Cornelia nodded. "It's where the Oracle and the council meet to discuss the affairs of the infinite dimensions and such. You know, like what's a threat and who we have to fight to ensure safety and all that."

"So you think this Oracle guy might know about who did this and the Lords?" asked Oliver.

"He might," Taranee replied. "He's often vague though. We usually have to figure out what he means by ourselves."

"So it's decided then," Matt nodded. "Kandrakar, here we come."

It didn't take long for everyone to relocate to the main garden where there was enough space to open a proper Fold to Kandrakar. Elyon had even ordered Caleb to accompany the Guardians and the Agito since the situation was so severe. As Will began to weave her magic to open the means of travel, Oliver decided to do something he knew he might end up regretting later. Steeling himself, he walked over to Elyon, who was overseeing the Fold opening. The young queen saw her new crush walking toward her and she felt her face began to heat up slightly.

"Um...Elyon?" Oliver asked somewhat timidly.

"Y-yes?" Elyon asked in response.

"I was uh...wondering if…" Oliver began to mumble.

"Yes?" Elyon asked. A welling hope began to fill her chest.

"Um...I was wondering if you would like to hang out...or something...next time we can get together," Oliver continued to mumble.

Elyon smiled brightly, "Are you asking me out on a date?"

"Urk!" Oliver gulped, his face beginning to imitate a tomato. He slowly got his voice back as he began to make a reply. "Well...if...if you want to look at it like that...yeah."

"I thought so," Elyon smiled. "Then my answer is yes"

"Really?" Oliver gasped. "Great!"

"Hey, Oliver!" Hay Lin called over to the wind element Agito. "The Fold's ready! We're leaving!"

"Okay!" Oliver answered before turning back to Elyon. He pulled out a piece of paper and quickly scrawled something on it. "Here's my phone number, address and e-mail. If you ever drop by Earth then you'll be able to find me."

"Oliver!" Hay Lin shouted loudly.

"I'm coming!" Oliver called back. He then looked back to Elyon. "Bye!"

With that, Oliver dashed over to the others as they began entering the Fold. Elyon watched them all leave and sighed sadly as the portal closed. Now feeling somewhat glum, she looked to the paper Oliver had handed her. She turned it over and gasped. This was the portrait he had made of her. Looking at the artwork allowed Elyon to see how he viewed her. Seeing how nice the portrait was assured Elyon that Oliver found her beautiful.

She would treasure this gift.

* * *

The Fold tore open as the group of youths entered the lands of the world of Kandrakar. They had entered just outside the building in which the Council and the Oracle held their meetings. The Agito found themselves somewhat mystified by the impressive structure.

"What is it with you magic folks and large buildings?" asked Adrian.

"You get used to it," Will shrugged.

The group approached the gates and the large doors instantly opened on their own. It appeared that they had been expected. The boys, save for Caleb, were somewhat wary of what was happening, but the girls seemed much more comfortable. They obviously knew where they were going as well since they had taken the lead and were walking at an even pace.

They continued on their little trek until they reached another pair of large doors. These ones opened by themselves as well, revealing a large council chamber which had rows and rows of seats which were filled by all sorts of folks. The boys of AGITO and Matt found themselves amazed at the kinds of people who were seated around them.

"So which one is the Oracle?" asked Gerald.

"I think it's that guy," Ian replied, pointing over to a particularly ancient-looking man. He was dressed in regal robes which made him appear to be very important. Hay Lin and Taranee both heard the boys' assumptions on whom the oracle was and giggled quietly. They had made the same mistake themselves when they first entered the Council Chambers.

The people in the room grew silent before a new person approached them. He stood in the middle of the room and looked rather youthful, despite his bald head.

"Who's that guy?" asked Adrian. "A speaker?"

"Greetings, young Guardians," the man spoke with a pleasant and welcoming tone. "We have been expecting you for some time."

"Hello, Oracle," Will greeted in turn. Her words caused Matt and the other boys to flinch. This guy was the Oracle? Well, he really didn't look the part. Usually oracles were shriveled old guys who had seen an incredible amount of things in the world and hoarded so much knowledge.

"I see you have brought many guests with you," the Oracle spoke up as his eyes landed on the new group of boys who were accompanying the Guardians of the Infinite Dimensions.

"Yes," Will nodded. "Well, one of them is one of the three Regents of Earth, Matthew Olsen," she gestured to Matt who just waved. There was some muttering among the people present on the council. Seeing little resistance, she continued her introductions. "Continuing, we have Adrian Carter, Gerald Matthews, Ian Cook, Tyler Reeves, and Oliver Chase, otherwise known as AGITO."

The entire room fell silent at her introduction. Will immediately began to regret saying those words. Generally, the Council argued over a lot of things and if something caused them to be silent, then something big was up. Even the Oracle himself looked surprised.

"Pardon me," the Oracle spoke up, "but are you saying that these five young men are the Warriors of Creation?"

"Warriors of Creation?" asked Hay Lin.

"If you mean that they possess Seeds of Agito that allow them to transform then yes," Will nodded with some confusion.

Mutters began to echo through the chambers again. This time they sounded more upset than the last round. Obviously, the word 'Agito' had some history with the Council.

"Excuse me," Adrian spoke up. He had gotten quickly fed up with these obvious issues with what he and the others were. "Oracle, if I may ask, what do you mean when you call an Agito a 'Warrior of Creation'?"

"Allow me to explain then," The Oracle nodded towards the Goth boy. "You all must understand that the Agito are more than just creations like any other. They are a perfect fusion between Darkness and Light. They are not born naturally evil or naturally good. They are merely neutral. It is how they lived their lives that help them choose their path."

"So what you mean is that an Agito can be the greatest good, or the foulest evil," Tyler spoke. "They are the pinnacle of human potential."

"Precisely," the Oracle nodded. "The potential an Agito possesses is enormous. With this potential, the Overlord of Light gave them the ability to do battle, turning them into warriors. When I think about it, I must say that I'm not surprised that the Guardians would eventually cross paths with the Agito."

"What do you mean?" asked Cornelia.

"What I mean is that the Agito and the Guardians are connected in a very strong spiritual sense," the Oracle answered. His answer caused the group of youths to begin gaping at what they had heard. The Guardians and the Agito were connected?

"What do you mean?" asked Ian. "They only way I can see our connection is that each Guardian and Agito share a common element. That's it."

"Not quite," the Oracle chuckled. "I'm sure that the Guardians have informed you of the origins of the Heart of Kandrakar. What even they don't know is how the dragons who came to the Jade Princess were what would become the link to the Agito."

"But how could the dragons be connected to the Agito?" asked a now confused Hay Lin. Her grandmother never mentioned this.

"The dragons were created by the Overlord of Light," the Oracle answered simply. Even with such a simple word, the Agito and Guardians almost felt floored. "As the Lords are agents of the Overlord of Darkness, the animals that do and have existed over the ages were the agents of the Overlord of Light. The dragons were his greatest creations."

"So we share a spiritual link with the Agito," Will realized as she brought out the Heart of Kandrakar.

"Yes," the Oracle nodded. "The Guardians control elements which, when properly used, can be used to create many things. However, the Agito represent the power of creation itself. The will behind the heart so to speak."

The members of AGITO and WITCH were all stunned by the revelation they had just been told. To find out that the newest powers on the block were actually so intimately connected with the power that the girls had known for so long was shocking. However, there were still questions to ask and Adrian wanted to have them answered.

"As interesting as this is," Adrian spoke as he stepped forward. "The reason we are here is because there was a jailbreak in Meridian. Three criminals who once supported Phobos escaped with the aid of an unknown party."

"We became aware of this a short time ago," the Oracle nodded. "We also know who this unknown party is who assisted those three in their escape."

"Then tell us already!" Cornelia cried. "Cedric, Miranda and Frost are dangerous enough on their own! They don't need extra help for that."

"The situation is somewhat more grave than you know," the Oracle replied with some grim tones in his voice. "We have reason to believe that the one who assisted those three in their escape as well as responsible for the events on Earth may be an Agito as well."

"WHAT?!" the assembled visitors cried out.

"Although he hides himself well, we have managed to catch glimpses of his actions," the Oracle gestured in the air as a viewing screen appeared showing a darkened figure somehow attacking people and removing a shining light before turning it purple and placing it back inside of his victims. He was a bulky figure, but the spread out horns were unmistakable.

"So he's the one that's been making the Lords," Taranee frowned as she watched the screen faded away.

"These are not Lords," the Oracle spoke, surprising the visitors again. "What this Agito has been creating are what he calls 'Otiga'. I am unsure how he discovered this process, but he is able to corrupt dormant Seeds of Agito enough to turn them into the creatures you all have been facing recently. Thankfully, it seems other Agito attacks can remove the corruption."

"So these things are really people turned into monsters called Otiga," Gerald sighed. "I suppose it's fitting since their name is Agito spelled backwards."

"So why don't we hunt him down and kick his butt already?!" cried Oliver.

"I would advise against that," the Oracle replied. "He is much stronger than any of you and his Seed has developed to a level beyond any of you at the moment."

"But we outnumber him 5 to one," Gerald said confidently before Irma whapped him behind the head. "Ow!"

"Actually, it would be 10 to one," Irma stated.

"No," Will said, "We got a lot of allies so if we all hit him hard then-"

"You'd be committing suicide," the Oracle said, his voice becoming cold. The Guardians fell silent at his answer as did the Warriors. "This Agito has probably reached the peak of his potential. Don't you remember the trouble his Otiga gave you? If 5 Guardians are unable to defeat one Otiga, then how do you expect to fare against an Agito who not only has the ability to create an army of Otiga but is also an Agito? Even if you have 5 Agito with you right now, facing him right now would lead to a slaughter."

A slaughter…was this evil Agito _that_ powerful? Was he even more powerful than Phobos and Nerissa combined?

"But what if we used our full powers?" Hay Lin suggested. "Then what?" Hay Lin was talking about becoming one with their elements, reaching the zenith of their power. However, the Oracle once again shook his head.

"Doing so would be dangerous and foolish since you all are unable to control that level of power as of yet. I do not mean to discourage you, but please heed my warning. None of you must face this evil Agito until you are ready," the Oracle told them.

Adrian then stepped forward and said, "You said the Agito are able to evolve further, right?" the Oracle nodded. "So, if we were able to reach our full potential, could we beat this guy?"

The Oracle answered as truthfully as he could at the moment. He need not lie to the young Agito. He could see the intensity in the boy's eyes and it was matched only by the gazes of his fellow Agito. The Oracle said, "Yes, you can become stronger. As you learn of your Seeds, you may discover powers you have never dreamed of. The possibilities are endless." The 5 Warriors began to smile. "However, the journey is perilous. As you begin to unlock the secrets of your powers, you may become consumed by the Seed and become something else. Be warned that the Seeds inside you are still growing. Though they have awakened they are not yet fully mature."

"So help teach us how," Ian urged but the Oracle shook his head.

"I'm afraid I am not the one that can help you to reach your full potential. I do apologize, but you must learn on your own," the Oracle said regrettably.

Oliver crossed his arms and grumbled, "That sucks." He wanted to be able to control how long he could remain transformed. That way he could be tall and maybe take Elyon out flying. He enjoyed the latter part of the thought the most as a pink tint appeared on his cheeks.

Tyler decided to step forward and asked, "Oracle, sir, you must at least know where we can turn to. There has to be at least another Agito out there that may be able to help us. We can't be the only Agito around who have fully awakened, right?"

"You know, he has a point," Caleb said. "You said that the people who were turned into these Otiga things possessed dormant Seeds. Isn't it possible for there to be an Agito out there who has not only awakened their Seed but has also reached their full potential?"

"Yes, there is," the Oracle said, giving the boys hope. "But you must find this individual yourselves. I cannot give you all the answers. You must discover them for yourselves."

* * *

A dark doorway appeared in what looked like an abandoned bookstore. To be more precise, it was an abandoned bookstore. It was the one Cedric has used as his base when he had been searching for Elyon a long time ago. The four villains walked out of the portal before it dispersed into smoke which faded shortly afterwards.

Cedric looked around, and smirked, sighing wistfully, "Ah, memories. You read my mind."

"_That I did_," the Dark Figure nodded. "_This will be where you all will be staying._"

"What about you?" Frost said gruffly. "And what about Crimson?"

"_Ah, your beloved beast_," the Dark Figure said, "_Well, unfortunately, like Phobos, I saw no need for that foul creature_." Frost growled in anger but then stepped back when he saw the purple glow of the Dark Figure's eyes staring at him. "_I won't hesitate to send you back to your cage, Frost. Just because I need you now doesn't mean you aren't expendable_," the Dark Figure warned. He then reminded, "_And put on a glamour spell. You stick out like a sore thumb_."

Frost grumbled before he cast the illusion, changing himself into a more human form. He wore brown pants, a black jacket over a white shirt, black gloves and a snowcap on his head. He looked more human now and wouldn't attract too much unwanted attention.

"So, what now?" Cedric asked. Both Miranda and Cedric had been happy to leave Phobos behind. He had done it to them so there was no love lost. They did gain love for one another as Cedric's hand was clasped around Miranda's.

"_The problem is that the Guardians know who you all are, human form or otherwise_," the Dark Figure contemplated. "_But…we may be able to use that to our advantage_."

"How?" Miranda asked, curiously.

"_Always stay under the public eye_," the Dark Figure said, pointing to his own eyes to add emphasis. "_That way, those Guardians nor their Agito allies can do anything since they wish to keep their identities secret. If you are always in public, they can't attack you_."

Miranda and Cedric nodded in agreement. It was a good plan. Frost, however, disagreed and voiced his opinion, "Why hide when we can act now!? Let's just find those Guardians and destroy them once and for all!"

Suddenly, Frost stood frozen as his eyes widened in fear. The Dark Figure's arm had shot forward and buried deeply into Frost's chest like he had done to his previous Otiga. Frost felt the Dark Figure's hand squeezing his heart and the Dark Figure said, "_Don't ever disagree with me, Frost because you may not live to regret it._" He removed his arm and Frost dropped to his knees, a cold sweat on his face as he gasped. Cedric and Miranda were surprised. There was no open wound from penetration yet they saw the Dark Figure had his arm buried inside Frost's chest. The Dark Figure then pulled out three gloves with purple gems on their backs before throwing them to the three of them. Cedric and Miranda grabs theirs while the third one hit Frost on the head.

"What are these?" Miranda asked as she studied the glove. It didn't look too impressive but the purple gem did release an ominous glow. She turned it over and saw on the palm a purple Agito emblem. However, it seemed twisted and vile. The fingers of the gloves seemed to have ancient runes written on them.

"_These gloves can do the same thing I do_," the Dark Figure said. "_They can detect Seeds of Agito, whether dormant or awakened, and lead you to them. Then, like I did to Frost here, you can plunge your hands into them and corrupt their Seeds, turning them into Otiga._" Cedric and Miranda grinned as the Dark Figure continued, "_It only works on dormant Seeds, however, but you can also summon an army of Dark Soldiers to aid you._" The Dark Figure thrust his hand open and black smoke billowed before it shaped itself into several vaguely humanoid figures. The figures solidified and turned into the same ant-like creatures that had attacked the marketplace in Meridian earlier. These were the Dark Soldiers. The Dark Figure banished them and turned to see his newest assistants smiling. He didn't have to read their minds to know what they were thinking. It was on their faces.

"This is going to be fun," Miranda grinned as she put on her glove. She could feel the dark power course through her. Cedric and Frost did the same and felt the rush and then the gloves vanished. "Huh?" Miranda asked in confusion.

"The gloves are hidden," Cedric said.

"_And are now a part of you_," the Dark Figure stated, "_You can summon them at will when you wish to use them_." He then reminded, "_Be warned, though, that you must recharge them. Bring them to me when you need a recharge of energy. If you don't…well…_" the Dark Figure's tone turned sinister, "_You won't like the consequences_."

* * *

A Fold opened up behind Sheffield before the group exited. Adrian grumbled when his feet touched the grass.

"That was a big waste of time," Adrian muttered.

"We did warn you that the guy talks in riddles," Taranee said.

"Well, it's getting late," Will said, looking up at the sky. "We better get home."

"I'll walk with you," Matt said as Will smiled.

"Well, see you guys tomorrow," Gerald waved.

"Just be careful when you get home," Irma warned. "Anyone can be an Otiga."

"I'll be careful, Water Sprite," Gerald smiled before walking away.

"Well, it's been fun!" Oliver said, smiling widely for a lot of reasons. "Bye, guys." He couldn't wait to meet them for training. Hay Lin smiled. Oliver was cute. He ran off as he whistled. His feet didn't seem to touch the ground as he was dancing on air.

The boys and girls went their separate ways, either in pairs or solo. Adrian had his hands in his pockets as he made his way out of Sheffield. He promised to visit his mom today.

* * *

Another day went by and soon the Sheffield Institute was bustling with activity yet again. All through the day, no one seemed to notice anything that was amiss. Most of their attention was focused on the weird things that had been going on, like the monsters that had appeared at the pool or the restaurant which was rumored to have been attacked by two of them.

Eric was one of the people who had heard the rumors. He was afraid that the restaurant that had been attacked was the Silver Dragon. He was sure that if it was true then Hay Lin would have told him, but he wanted to be sure. The trick was finding her.

Hay Lin was an excitable girl, but it was fun to hang out with her. He never could tell what that girl was going to do next. That was part of what made her fun. She was just so unpredictable and energetic.

As Eric was walking though, he didn't notice the new janitor that was mopping aimlessly at the side of the hall. He was wearing the usual jumpsuit which janitors wore, but he was also wearing black gloves and a black hat.

It had been pitifully easy for Frost to get his job at the school where the Guardians were attending. Miranda and Cedric were ready to show off in front of the five wenches, but Frost himself wanted to learn a little bit more about their habits and people they knew. Ideas for future targets were always good. Frost had also wanted to try and find out a little more about these five Agito their 'employer' had decided to tell them about.

Still, Frost let loose an evil grin as he watched the boy go by. He had managed to spy him asking about the Guardian of Air so he must be close to her. Perhaps a lover? Most likely. He would make an excellent target.

* * *

"Well, it all seems in order," Principal Knickerbocker said as she looked over the resume. "We have been looking for a new librarian, Mr. Smith, ever since our last one just called in and quit."

"What a shame," Cedric said as he sat across from Principal Knickerbocker. Getting rid of the previous librarian had been an easy task and then he just came by to apply for the empty position. He could keep an eye out for any potential targets and the school library held a lot of possibilities. Miranda was waiting outside the office, under the guise of a new student. So far things were moving according to plan. Frost had gotten a job as the school's janitor. It was a befitting job for him with his lack of skill aside from fighting. "So, may I start today?"

"Certainly," Principal Knickerbocker smiled as she handed Cedric the keys. "Here are the keys to the library. Now, if you don't mind, I have a new student to see."

"I don't mind, Madam Principal," Cedric smiled charmingly.

* * *

Will was sitting at her desk while she whispered to Adrian, "You have the feeling something weird is going to happen?"

"Everyday," Adrian said. His mom was coming home today and the work on the hole had been finished. He had reason to smile.

"Well, I hope it's more interesting than history class," Irma pointed as their History teacher, Dean Collins. Dean was dating Will's mother and despite Will's earlier reservations, she had grown to accept the man into her life. "This is a snooze fest."

Suddenly, his cell phone rang. Apologizing quickly, Mr. Collins picked up his phone and answered. As he spoke into it a few seconds, he turned it off and turned to the class, "Well, class, it appears we have a new student joining us. I do hope you make her feel welcomed." He turned his attention towards the door when he heard the knock. "That must be her now. You can come in now." The door creaked open and when the person entered, the Guardians in the class had their eyes wide open.

The person who walked into the room was none other than Miranda herself in her human form. She had a fake sweet smile on her face while she pretended to be innocent.

"Hello," she smiled. "My name is Miranda Peterson. I hope that we can get along."

Adrian almost disregarded her until he noticed the look of shock on Will's face. Seeing how tense she was did not bode well to him. He looked back to the new girl and quickly realized that Will had good reason to be tense. The girls had given the Agito the descriptions of Cedric, Frost and Miranda and the girl in front of them fit the bill. He was looking at none other than Miranda. It probably wouldn't be too much to guess that Cedric and Frost were somewhere close by. Surely they couldn't be attempting something out in the open…could they?

Miranda herself was enjoying the looks on Will and Adrian's faces. It had been pitifully easy to use a compulsion spell on the principal to let her get into the school. It had been a strong one too so she wouldn't even begin to doubt her being a normal girl. The old lady might get a sense of déjà vu, but that was nothing to worry about. Now she could enjoy toying with the Guardians and their little boy-toys, the Agito.

* * *

"You mean Miranda is HERE?!" Cornelia cried as the girls of WITCH and the boys of AGITO got together for lunch.

"Saw her with out own eyes in History," Adrian sighed as he picked at his lunch. "How much do you want to bet that Cedric and Frost are here too?"

"I don't like those odds," Oliver shivered.

"But why are they here?" asked Hay Lin. "They can't be really planning on attacking us out here."

"They're taunting us," Tyler frowned. "They know we can't do anything in public. Cedric is probably close by while Frost is using a spell to hide his appearance."

"You're a clever one," a new voice spoke up.

The collected youths quickly turned to the voice and spied a man in a suit standing a foot or two behind them. He had long blonde hair in a ponytail, glasses and a smirk on his handsome face.

"Hello, Guardians," Cedric smiled with a wave. "Long time no see."

"Cedric," Will frowned. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm on lunch break," Cedric shrugged with amusement. "Didn't you hear? I'm the new librarian."

"What?!" Taranee cried. "What did you do with the last one?"

"A compulsion spell is quite handy," Cedric answered vaguely. "Otherwise there wouldn't be a vacancy I could have taken."

"Enough of this," Adrian frowned. "I assume since you and Miranda are here, Frost is here as well."

"Oh, he's around somewhere," Cedric shrugged. "Still, you five aren't quite what I was expecting for the Agito I've been hearing about."

"Well, your boss is an Agito too so I'm not surprised, you know," Ian retorted with a frown.

Cedric stiffened slightly. Well, the Guardians had their council and the Agito were no doubt in the know about them.

"Well, of course we would," Cedric grinned. "I'm certainly willing to follow him since he got me and Miranda out of those cages."

"Enough with this, Cedric!" Cornelia hissed. "What are you planning?!"

"Wouldn't you like to know," Cedric snickered before leaving. He walked past both Matt and Caleb who were holding their lunch trays. The two boys did a double take to see who had walked by them.

"I'm either crazy or was that Cedric?" Caleb asked.

"If you're crazy then so am I," Matt said. Both of them then seated themselves with the girls and Agito. Will then explained everything to them.

"Great…" Caleb said. He was looking forward to beating Cedric up again and now he couldn't since Cedric would always be out in public. Same goes for both Frost and Miranda. None of them could do anything without attracting negative attention in school. They couldn't attack the new girl or librarian, could they?

"OK, that is just so wrong," Matt pointed where Miranda and Cedric were sitting close to one another. They were talking and Miranda actually giggled.

"If you hadn't told me that Miranda was really a giant hairy spider thing then I would think that she was cute," Gerald grimaced.

"Ditto," Irma agreed. "And plus they're dating."

The boys imagined a large snake thing and a hairy spider thing dating and blanched in total disgust.

"I just lost my appetite," Oliver pushed his lunch away, clearly not hungry. He then said, "Hey, Hay Lin, I heard you and Eric talking a while ago. Something about a monster attack at the Silver Dragon. What did you tell him?"

"I hope you were able to make up something convincing," Ian said to her. He remembered that attack well.

"I just told him some guys in costumes caused a panic," Hay Lin replied. She hated lying to Eric but what was she supposed to do? Tell him the truth and see him freak out? Not an option. He was her first real boyfriend after all.

"So what do we do about Cedric, Miranda and Frost?" asked Taranee.

"I think we'll have to follow them," Will frowned. "At the very least we'll be able to figure out where they are hiding out."

"Doesn't that sound fun," Adrian sighed.

"Stakeout, huh?" Oliver grinned as he spun his pencil around. "Sweetness."

* * *

School was let out for the day so now our heroes could act.

It had been painfully easy to spot Miranda and Cedric. They were making no real effort to cover their tracks. Frost even joined up with them in his disguise.

"I am not liking this," Tyler frowned. "They're making it way too easy."

Caleb nodded in agreement. "I'll bet they know we're following them."

"Then we'll have to be prepared for anything." Will said.

Frost, Cedric, and Miranda just calmly walked around as if nothing was wrong. Every so often they would even stop to look at displays in stores. The drawn out process was starting to get on the young heroes' nerves.

"Can't we hurry this up?" asked Cornelia impatiently. "I want to throw their butts back into the jail already!"

"Would you just calm down?" asked Gerald irritably. "We don't want to screw this up."

The three criminals slowly came to a stop outside of a construction site where a few workers were getting ready to stop for the day. Both WITCH and AGITO along with their allies watched them seemingly talk to each other for a moment.

That was when everything went insane.

Smoke erupted from the streets before it solidified into the familiar images of the ant creatures that the Guardians and Warriors had faced in the marketplace in Meridian. The Dark Soldiers then spotted the Guardians and Warriors and stared at them menacingly.

"Well, you got your wish, Cornelia," Oliver said as he got ready to fight. "You got the action you wanted."

"I guess we know what we need to do," Adrian frowned as he and the other Agito allowed their belts to appear around their waists. Will only nodded as she drew out the Heart of Kandrakar.

"Guardians, Unite!" she cried, unleashing the power within the small pendant.

"Earth!"

"Fire!"

"Wind!"

"Water!"

"Quintessence!"

"Shadows of Agito…"

"Waters of Agito…"

"Flames of Agito…"

"Grounds of Agito…"

"Winds of Agito…"

"TRANSFORM!"

Flashes of light erupted from the collected group before the Guardians of the Infinite Dimensions and the Warriors of Creation charged forward to fight off the numerous enemies. Behind it all, the three criminals from Meridian watched with amusement.

"Right on schedule," Miranda snickered.

"As expected," Cedric nodded before he felt something pulsing on his hand. Looking to it, he discovered that the glove had reappeared and the gem was glowing. Cedric's face lit up in glee. "And it seems that I have found my first opportunity in creating a new minion."

Not bothering to wait for his lover or fellow criminal, Cedric pointed the glove in the direction he was feeling the pulse and the gem lit up as it was pointed at one of the construction workers who was watching the fight.

"You!" Cedric grinned before he rapidly shifted to his serpentine form and lunged forward at the man. He screamed and tried to run, but the shape-shifting beast already managed to constrict his legs.

"Now to see if this works!" Cedric cackled as he raised his gloved hand, which surprisingly fit well on his bestial form. He brought his hand down and it sank right into the man's chest like it was going through water.

"Now where is it?" Cedric pondered as he searched. "That wasn't it. No. Not here. Wait…got it!" He then pulled out an orb of bright white light. He gazed at the dormant power hidden inside for a second before he remembered what he was here for. Focusing on the power in the glove, the gem glowed and fed dark energy into the white orb, changing it from bright white to dull purple. Satisfied, he then returned the dull purple light into the man's chest, whose eyes were now glowing purple. Cedric slithered back and released the man and said, "Go and destroy them," as he pointed to the Guardians and Warriors. The corrupted man nodded as he stalked towards the battle, black smoke escaping his body as he growled.

"A…Gi…To…"

The Warriors, Guardians, Caleb and Shagon were beating down the Dark Soldiers with relative ease. Of course, the Soldiers were not meant to be powerful as their strength was in their numbers. To put it simply they were merely cannon fodder.

Flame slashed down with his swords, destroying a Dark Soldier as Taranee blasted a few with flames. Caleb was using hand-to-hand tactics on a Dark Soldier as Cornelia buried them underground. Irma and Aqua were teaming up as she produced the water and he used his hydrokinesis to blast them with it. Gaia crushed a few Dark Soldiers using a high gravitational field. Hay Lin sent a few flying as Cyclone shot at them with his crossbow. Will, Shagon and Shadow were dealing with a few Dark Soldiers themselves as Shadow used his fists to deal with them. Shagon was using his eyebeams while Will sent lightning bolts at them.

"These Agito are impressive," Miranda smirked. "Let's join in to see how we fare." She then began to reassume her true form. Her hair began to grow and grow until it covered all over her. She had now assumed her hairy spider-like form and began hissing as she went towards the battle. Frost assumed his true form and held an axe as Cedric slithered next to him.

It was time for vengeance.

The three criminals dashed forward to attack their hated foes. The Guardians would be the first ones to fall. They hadn't waited for so long for this opportunity only to leave it alone now. The Agito were not much of a concern at the moment. There was something _special_ in store for them.

"AAAAAGIIIIIITTTTOOOOOOO!!" the new Otiga roared as it erupted from the smoke in its new form.

This Otiga was similar to a mole in a lot of ways. It was wearing thin sandals on its clawed feet and a silver chest plate. It was hunched over slightly and had large clawed hands perfect for both digging and fighting. Its head was similar to a mole's but a black band covered its eyes.

Cyclone was the first to notice the oncoming Otiga and criminals, "INCOMING!"

Miranda hit the battle first, not caring that she managed to crush some of her minions in the process. Her legs were aimed at the Guardians, ready to pierce them, but they were quick and able to dodge.

Cedric decided to take a crack at some of the Agito. His eyes landed on the golden one so he decided to make a lunge for it.

Gaia acted fast and slammed his palms onto the buttons on the sides of his belt, summoning his hammer. Cedric was fast, but Gaia was just as fast despite the weight of his armor. He swung the hammer wide and managed to hit the shape-shifter's head, knocking him to the side.

"Ugh," Cedric groaned as he began to rise, glaring at Gaia. "So, you Agito are pretty strong after all."

"You have no idea," Gaia spoke as he readied for another assault. He then dashed forward to bash Cedric's brains in.

"You're mine, Guardians!" Frost bellowed as he lunged at both Hay Lin and Cornelia.

"Don't think so, ugly!" Cornelia snapped as she shattered the ground before her and sent chunks of earth at the former Knight of Vengeance. Hay Lin added her own little mix by blowing heavy winds which increased the speed of the projectiles.

Frost wasn't an easy target though. He was skilled with his movements and managed to dodge a number of the stones with a laugh.

"It will take more than that to beat me this time!" he crowed.

The Otiga was also in a fight as well. It was facing off against four Agito, Shagon, and Caleb. They weren't having an easy time fighting it despite their numbers.

"Does this thing have eyes in the back of its head or what?!" demanded Caleb as he dodged a large swipe from the Mole Otiga.

"Don't look at me!" Aqua replied as he tried to get it from behind, only to get sidestepped.

"How's something this dumpy have such good reflexes?" asked Shagon out loud.

The Mole Otiga let out a large roar before it dove at the ground and actually managed to tear through it like tissue paper. Before any of the boys could get close, the Mole Otiga was already well underground.

"This does not bode well," Flame groaned as he tried to find where the Otiga would pop up again. The ground behind him erupted before the Otiga landed a devastating slash to his back, sending him falling. It then went back underground just as quickly as it came out.

"Ian, you okay?" Cyclone asked as he helped up the Agito of Fire. He had his eyes trained around them, looking for where the Mole Otiga could pop up.

"Just a scratch," Flame said with a groan, thankful that the armor could withstand a strike. I still hurt though.

"This is nuts," Aqua said. "That thing could pop up anywhere."

The Mole Otiga then exploded out of the ground, aiming its claws towards Caleb. Shagon managed to catch it in time and blast it with his eyebeams before Shadow dashed forward and landed a violent uppercut to its chin, sending it flying and falling to the ground. It rolled over and began to dig back into the ground. "Stay focused, guys," Caleb said.

Taranee and Will shot at Miranda with their powers but the spider creature was agile and able to dodge. She then shot webbing at the two guardians but then a wall of water, courtesy of Irma, blocked it. Will took advantage of the situation before zapping Miranda with her Quintessence energy. Miranda howled in pain but was still able to fight as she jumped around to either attack or avoid the Guardians' attacks.

Frost may not have any special powers, but he was still a tough cookie. He was a hardened warrior and nothing short of death could stop him. He nearly got Hay Lin with his axe before the girl flew away out of reach. Cornelia summoned up vines to bind him but the monster of a man chopped them to ribbons with his axe. "Is that the best you can do!?" Frost taunted.

"No, this is!" Cornelia shouted as she pulled back her fist and covered it in stone before throwing it in his face. Despite her appearance, Cornelia did not hit softly. She hit hard and Frost felt the fist as it smashed into his cheek. Hay Lin grinned and then used this moment to use a heel kick to his shoulder before using a flip kick that hit his face and sent him staggering. She then blew him away.

* * *

Eric was on his way home when he heard the commotion coming from the construction site. His curiosity pulled him to peak as to what was happening and he was surprised to see a fight he had only seen happening in comic books or on TV. The guys in armor looked cool but then his eyes wandered over to those fairy girls and he could've sworn he saw Hay Lin and her girl-friends. The Chinese fairy girl then delivered a violent flip kick into the monster man's face which sent him flying out of the construction site and crashing through the wooden fence that had been built around it. Frost looked to see Eric and when his glove appeared with the gem shining, he grinned. Eric froze in fear as Frost got up and said, "Well, let's see what you'll become." He quickly reached forward and Eric screamed.

Hay Lin saw this and screamed too as Frost plunged his hand into Eric's chest. "ERIC! NO!!"

* * *

**AGITΏ**


	7. Primal Roar

**AGITΏ: Warriors of Creation.**

Hay Lin was never very interested in boys before. She was just the way she was, a creative individual who just loved her friends and willing to risk herself for them. She cared little for what others thought of her or the opposite sex.

All that changed when she met Eric who would become her new boyfriend. Eric was the first boy ever to cause her heart to thump every time he was nearby and pull heart strings she never knew she had. She then realized she was in love with him. Why shouldn't she? He was sweet, kind, and all around nice guy and liked shiny things. The last part was a quirk but it made him all the more endearing.

The day when Nerissa had taken control of him nearly broke her heart. She had nearly given up if not for the faith of her friends. They actually shared a kiss that day too, even when he had not known what was going on.

She had vowed to protect him and that was why, up until now, he had no idea of her secret life as a Guardian…

"ERIC! NO!!" Hay Lin screamed as she watched Frost plunging his hand into Eric's chest, eliciting a loud scream from the boy. Frost was not very gentle with his latest catch as he searched for this boy's Seed, if he had one anyway. If he didn't then maybe he could cause the Air Guardian to suffer as he tortured the boy mercilessly. "LET HIM GO!"

Eric was feeling unspeakable pain as this beast of a man held something deep within his chest. Was it his heart? He was unsure, but the pain was intense and he was about ready to black out. He doubted that this monster would remove his hand even if he'd passed out. It was somewhat of a mixed blessing when he finally did.

**BOOM!!**

Frost was suddenly sent flying and slammed into a support beam by a powerful blast of wind. He looked up to see Hay Lin and now was scared of her.

Hay Lin's fists were clenched at her sides as she gritted her teeth. Her eyes were narrowed and focused on Frost. The other Guardians turned to look and could see a tornado beginning to form around their gentlest member. Even Cedric and Miranda stopped to admire the sight. What none of them noticed was the tears that were leaking from the corners of her eyes.

"Woah," Irma let out. "Hay Lin's pissed off." She was feeling scared right now.

Hay Lin approached Frost slowly and with strength she never knew before lifted him up by his shirt. Sweat began to pour down the hunter's face. Hay Lin growled, "I told you to let him go…" Frost couldn't even utter a reply as Hay Lin pulled back a fist and covered it in a tornado before throwing it at Frost's face.

**KE-RACK!!**

As a result, the powerful hunter was sent flying high into the sky by the force of the punch before he appeared as a tiny speck in the sky. The Guardians gaped. They never knew Hay Lin could be so strong.

Miranda and Cedric exchanged looks. They already had an Otiga so part of their mission was complete. "I suggest we withdraw," Cedric said.

"Agreed," Miranda let out as both of them vanished into a dark portal.

Hay Lin calmed down and then remembered something important. "Eric!" She few straight at his prone form and lifted him up. "Come on, speak to me!"

Meanwhile, the Agito were playing a game of 'Whack-A-Mole' with their Otiga adversary. The monster had dug a set of holes around them and wound jump out at random to slash at them before retreating into one of its many tunnels.

"This thing is seriously pissing me off!" Shadow growled as he turned to throw a fist at the fast escaping Mole Otiga. "He keeps getting away!"

"I know," Cyclone agreed. He had tried shooting his arrows down a hole but that accomplished nothing. "I can't exactly shoot at something I can't see!"

Caleb was standing back to back with Shagon as they awaited the right time to strike.

Flame and Aqua were thinking the same thing. Their abilities didn't work quite well against such an opponent. Gaia, on the other hand, was calm. He gripped his hammer and walked over to one of the holes. He focused his hearing and then…

The Mole Otiga jumped out of the hole and then Gaia struck. He gave his hammer a powerful swing and sent the Mole Otiga flying straight into the air. It let out a loud shriek.

"NOW!" Gaia shouted. Shadow took this as his signal and his horns spread open with a 'shing'. The symbol of Agito formed under him as he went into a pose, his eyes focused on the descending Otiga. He bent his knees and pulled back his leg, absorbing the energy.

At the same time, Cyclone's horns had also spread open as he too focused the Agito Force into himself and his weapon. His eyes focused on his target, the Mole Otiga.

Shadow leapt up and flew straight at the Mole Otiga, leg outstretched in a flying kick. His attack smashed into it and sent it to the ground. At the same time, an energy arrow struck it before it crashed, sending a cloud of dust flying. The dust cloud simmered down and soon they could see the Otiga letting out a wail as the belt around its waist glowed with a purple glow before letting out a blinding white light. A second later the Otiga exploded and left behind its original human form.

"Yeah!" Cyclone cheered as he suddenly turned back to Oliver. "Aw, crud."

Shadow had turned back into Adrian and the other Warriors had also turned back to their respective human forms.

"OK, that was anticlimactic," Gerald stated. Matt, who had turned back from Shagon, just stared.

"You call that _anticlimactic_?" the Regent of Earth asked. Gerald shrugged.

"I guess after the last few explosions I've grown desensitized."

"Well, come on," Caleb said. "I think I heard Hay Lin scream."

The boys then ran over to where the girls were. They had changed back to normal. Will, Cornelia, Taranee and Irma were standing but Hay Lin was kneeling on the ground, cradling Eric. He didn't have any visible injuries but by the way tears were pouring out of Hay Lin's eyes, he might have internal ones.

"Come on," Tyler said. "We better get him to a hospital."

Hay Lin silently nodded in agreement as Caleb lifted Eric into his arms and carried him. Taranee placed a reassuring hand on Hay Lin's shoulder.

"Come on, Hay Lin," Taranee said. "Eric will be okay." Of course, she doubted her words.

"At least he wasn't turned into an Otiga," Gerald said, trying to put a positive spin on this. It didn't seem to work. Turning into Otiga was actually better than dying in Hay Lin's opinion. At least they could solve that problem if it ever occurred.

Ian was rubbing his temples. "You OK?" Irma asked the Agito of Fire.

"Yeah, just a bit of a migraine, that's all," he told her.

* * *

The group was thankful that the hospital didn't ask too many questions. The fight had been crossed off as an exploding gas main so once Will had said that was where they found Eric the doctors hadn't needed much more information.

Eric's grandfather, Zacharias, was called quickly and arrived just as fast. When he saw his grandson in a hospital bed, he grew silent and just seemed to radiate worry. He then turned to the girls.

"Do you know what happened?" he asked.

"We found him near where those explosions happened," Irma explained quickly. "He didn't look hurt but he was out cold so we brought him here."

"Well, thank you, all of you," Zacharias nodded. He then turned to Hay Lin, who was just as quiet as he was a moment ago. "Hay Lin, I'm sure this is hard on you as well."

Hay Lin didn't talk. She just sniffled as she nodded. She had been crying on and off since they had gotten Eric admitted. Her voice would probably too hoarse to talk even if she wanted to.

As they all continued to sit around in silence, a doctor finally walked out to talk to them.

"Are you Mr. Lyndon?" he asked since he only knew that the group of school kids had brought the patent in.

"Yes I am," Zacharias nodded as he stood up. He was in front of the doctor in the blink of an eye. "Is my grandson all right?"

"I wouldn't worry too much," the doctor replied with a smile. "He seemed to be suffering from a mild case of shock. He did have some internal bruising but considering what happened I think he got off lucky. He can leave as soon as he wakes up."

There was collective sigh of relief from everyone in the room. Hay Lin just broke into tears again as the other girls held her so she could get it all out.

Adrian was just as relieved as all the others, but he was also thinking about the consequences of today. Had Frost been able to do anything to Eric's seed? Assuming he had one of course.

* * *

Within Eric's mind…

"Hello?" he called out. "Hello?" He was in a dark space and his voice echoed. "Anybody there?" There was no light source anywhere but despite all that he was still able to see his own hands. He began to walk. He wasn't sure where he was going but he opted that it was better than just standing around doing nothing.

Eric began calling out to people, anyone, "Hay Lin, are you there? Grandpa?" No answer except for the echoes. There was just darkness all around him and he was unsure as to how far or long he'd been walking.

Still, there was no one. He hadn't found anyone.

And then, he saw it. It was a bright light, just in front of him. Feeling hopeful, he began to approach it, albeit cautiously. For some reason, he could feel that this light, whatever it was, would lash out at him.

He didn't make it close enough when he heard a growl coming from behind him and then a loud roar. He clutched his head in pain. That roar had come from inside of him.

* * *

The Agito who were with the girls suddenly clutched their heads in pain. This caused the girls, Will and Irma especially, to become alarmed.

"Guys, what's wrong?" Irma asked.

"Ugh, it hurts!" Gerald let out as he clutched his head. Oliver had dropped down to his knees and Ian was struggling to stand. Tyler and Adrian fell onto their seats, still holding their heads.

The Guardians had learnt that the Agito were linked. They could sense each other. This also extended to the Otiga which were basically corrupted Seeds of Agito. The only reason they would be clutching their heads in pain right now would be because…

No…

"Eric!" Hay Lin yelled and suddenly they heard a loud crash that sounded like glass shattering. The doctors went into the room and Hay Lin followed them, with Eric's grandfather in tow.

The window was broken, and Eric Lyndon was nowhere to be found.

* * *

Miranda and Cedric, back in their human forms, returned to the bookstore which acted as their base. They knew that they'd be facing the Dark Figure's wrath but right now they didn't have anywhere else to go. Frost was nowhere to be seen and neither of them wanted to waste time looking for that brute.

"_So, you've returned_," the Dark Figure said as Cedric and Miranda entered. The Dark Figure was sitting on a chair reading one of the many books that still remained. "_How was your mission?_"

Cedric and Miranda gulped. They couldn't lie since their new master could read their thoughts and if they told him the truth who knows what would happen. Cedric decided to speak for both of them as Miranda stood behind him. Cedric approached the Dark Figure.

"We were able to discover a dormant Seed and corrupt its bearer into an Otiga," Cedric reported.

"_And…?_" the Dark Figure asked, wanting more details.

"The Guardians and Agito arrived, just as you expected," Cedric continued. "They…defeated and restored the Otiga."

The Dark Figure frowned. At least they were able to make a new Otiga before it was defeated. He then asked, "_Where is Frost?"_

"Frost found another dormant Seed and attempted to corrupt it the last I saw before the Air Guardian literally blasted him into the skies," Cedric answered. He never really liked Frost. The brute was more muscle than he was brains. Not worthy to be in the same room with them.

The Dark Figure accepted this answer but suddenly he growled as he clutched his head in pain. Ever since the new Agito began showing up, his headaches had been growing worse and more annoying. The headaches only happened when an Agito had awakened but this headache felt a lot worse.

He then realized what had happened and cursed under his breath. Frost, that idiot, had just released an even bigger pain than the Agito.

But he then smirked since this new unknown variable would be the Guardians' problem. Could they handle it?

* * *

It was confused. Where was it going? What was it doing? Where was it in the first place? A growl escaped its throat and kicked a trash can clear across the street. It was angry. It had no idea what had led it to be in that room of white, but it did not like the feeling of confinement. So it left. It broke the glass and escaped. What it was going to do now though, it didn't know.

It tossed another garbage can to the side just to alleviate some pent-up frustration. It could feel the need to do something, but it just didn't know what. Was it to find something? Was it to find someone? Was it being called to battle? It preferred battle. That way it could alleviate even more stress. Still, it knew that it was looking for something. What was it looking for?

After it walked past a broken mirror, it stopped and looked at the broken image reflected in it. It saw sections of crimson which gleamed in the light. It also saw green pieces which were gleaming as well.

"Haaaa," it purred as it traced a finger along the reflecting surface. It was shiny. Shiny was good. It liked shiny things. An image of something shiny flashed through its mind. It wasn't like other shiny things. This shiny thing was part of something very precious.

"Rah!" It roared before punching the broken mirror and shattering it further. It was now even more confused! It had a clue now though. Shiny. What it wanted was connected to a shiny thing.

It would find the shiny thing and the precious thing connected to it.

* * *

Meanwhile, the Guardians, Warriors and their allies were searching for the missing Eric. Hay Lin was almost in hysterics as she was wracked with worry. Irma, luckily, was there to console her.

"Someone must've taken him!" Hay Lin cried. "Maybe it was Cedric, or Miranda!" Hay Lin was in denial; she didn't want to believe that her dear sweet Eric had turn into an Otiga. He was just so sweet, and nice, and she loved him! She could never imagine him being a monster.

"Hay Lin," Tyler sighed. He was the logical one so he had to tell her, "The glass was broken from the inside. Something broke out of Eric's room and it just might be Eric. We can't just ignore the possibility." Hay Lin sniffled. Oliver handed Hay Lin a napkin to dry her tears.

"So, got anything on the mystic radar?" Adrian asked Will who was holding the heart. "That thing can track down Otiga, right?"

Will frowned. This was the first time she would attempt anything like this. Sure the Heart could detect portals as well as open/close them now but that was before the Veil was lifted. Now, she was attempting to find one person. She was trying to focus and Adrian asking questions wasn't helping. "I'm trying to concentrate, Adrian."

"Fine," Adrian leaned against the wall, hands behind his head. "I won't disturb you."

Mattfrowned slightly at how casual the dark boy was being with his girlfriend. He didn't like the way Adrian and Will were hanging out or spending time together. Sure they were allies, but there was something about the black clad warrior that bothered him. He wasn't sure what it was. It wasn't jealousy though. It couldn't have been.

"Well, we won't find the guy if we just hang around here," Ian said. "I think we better split up."

"Well, we can't split the girls up," Gerald said. "They need Will and the Heart to transform. We, on the other hand can transform without being together."

"Hey, we don't need to transform to fight," Cornelia huffed at Gerald's comment. It was true. They did have their minor abilities at their disposal even outside their transformation.

"But yet, you still do," Oliver said as he fixed his glasses. "And with the kind of enemies we have now I think that we're stronger together rather than divided."

Taranee had to agree with the shorter boy. "That's right. We need to be on our guard. Whatever Eric turned into could-" They heard a crash. "What was that!?"

Hay Lin raised her head, "Eric?"

"I hope so," Irma gulped. She was hoping Eric hadn't turn into an Otiga. It would feel awkward to fight a friend.

Caleb got ready to fight if it ever turned violent. They could hear footsteps and heavy breathing. At the same time the Warriors were holding their heads because of a throbbing pain. They gritted their teeth. The pounding was becoming more and more painful with every second.

A deep breathing noise rose from the alley as more sounds of things crashing in the alley. Sounds of footsteps followed the noises as the source came closer. Each of the AGITO members began holding their heads in pain.

"Whatever's coming," Adrian grunted. "It's bad! Really bad!"

As he said those words, a figure came walking out of the alley. The girls gasped as they saw him. Even Caleb and Matt's eyes widened as they took in the figure and its appearance.

It was donned in dark crimson armor that looked like it was almost alive. There were bits of black at the joints and near the waist, but the main color was red. Gold bands were wrapped around the ankles, wrists and the collar. The head was most noticeable since it had what appeared to be a silver mouth guard and a pair of large green eyes. A yellow stone adorned the forehead and two horns reached from the same spot. There was also a yellow stone in the centre of its waist, just below the abdomen.

"Eric?" Hay Lin gasped. She took a few steps closer; hoping whatever was in front of them would see her. "Eric, is that you?"

* * *

It looked at the collected group that stood several feet in front of them. Seven males and five females. The females seemed odd. It could feel that it could almost recognize them. It didn't matter at the moment. It had to find the shiny thing that was connected to the precious thing.

It took another step forward before a pounding echoed its head again. It had been feeling it as stepped closer to the group. It didn't feel it near the females or the two males off to the side. It did however feel the pounding coming from the five males.

They were powerful. It didn't like that. It didn't like how powerful ones such as them were so close by. They might actually intrude and try to stop it from finding the precious thing.

One of the females stepped forward and began speaking.

"Eric?" she spoke. "Eric is that you?"

It heard the female speak before something began to stir in its mind. The voice was so familiar. It was a very nice voice. It felt soothing. It felt calmed by the female and her voice. But…why was it so familiar? Why did her voice feel so soothing? Who was this female who had such an effect on it?

The answers weren't coming and that only served to get in upset. It began letting a growl out of its throat as it held its head, trying to find answers. None were coming and in all its frustration and confusion, it roared to release them.

* * *

"RAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!" the figure bellowed as it heard Hay Lin's voice. It then lunged right at the group with claws outstretched. The mouthguard opened to reveal sharp teeth.

Adrian and Oliver, despite the pain in their heads, reacted quickly and used their powers to send the 'Otiga' flying back and into a dumpster, creating an indentation. It began to growl as it got back to its feet, eyes focused on the 5 Agito.

"Please, don't hurt him!" Hay Lin begged, but her words fell onto deaf ears as AGITO all transformed.

Adrian: "Shadows of Agito…"

Gerald: "Waters of Agito…"

Ian: "Flames of Agito…"

Tyler: "Grounds of Agito…"

Oliver: "Winds of Agito…"

"TRANSFORM!"

In bright flashes of light, the 5 boys had transformed into their Agito forms. Flame, Cyclone and Aqua quickly summoned their weapons and charged at the 'Otiga' in front of them who was snarling at them.

"If we defeat it, it'll turn back to Eric!" Flame said, remembering what the Oracle had told them.

"Let's do it!" Aqua agreed. Flame swung his sword at the Otiga but it leapt up and smashed its feet into his face. It then ducked under Aqua's trident thrust and smashed its fist into the blue Agito. Cyclone aimed but never got a chance to shoot as the 'Otiga' pounced on him before running towards the girls, focusing its attention on Hay Lin.

Gaia and Shadow charged and then swung their fists, but the 'Otiga' was agile as it dodged their attacks. Suddenly, a pair of curved blades extended from its wrists and it slashed at the two Agito with them, sending sparks flying off their chest.

Cyclone aimed at the back of the 'Otiga' and fired two arrows. However, it had sensed the two projectiles coming and leapt over its two opponents, causing the arrows to hit both Shadow and Gaia. The 'Otiga' then retracted one of its blades and then shot out a tentacle with a sharp tip that pierced Cyclone's armor. Cyclone screamed as he was being electrocuted by the tentacle. He was then forced back to his human form and fell unconscious. The 'Otiga' swiftly pulled the spiked tentacle back.

Suddenly, the 'Otiga' stiffened and then it turned its head to see Shadow, with his hand open and pointed at it. Shadow was using his telekinesis to keep the 'Otiga' still so they could attack. "Eric, this is for your own good!" Shadow shouted but the 'Otiga' began to roar. Shadow's headache was starting to act up again. Whatever this 'Otiga' that Eric had turned into, it didn't feel like the others. It felt more like when he detected the other Agito, yet not the same either. The headache got worst and he was forced to let the 'Otiga' go. The 'Otiga' then rushed at Shadow and with its claws slashed the black Agito across the face before giving him a reverse roundhouse to put him down. Adrian's armor vanished in flash of light.

Flame and Aqua's horns spread out as they focused their power into their weapons. The 'Otiga' could sense them and then two tentacles slithered out of its wrists in place of the blades. Flame and Aqua charged, ready to defeat the 'Otiga' who then swung out its tentacles at them. It caught their weapons and yanked them out of both Agito's hands. It then jumped up and smashed its knees into their faceplate, sending them crashing to the ground in a heap. Their transformations failed at that moment, changing them back to normal.

Gaia was the only Agito left standing as he stood protectively in front of the girls, Caleb and Matt. "You shall not pass,' Gaia said as he got ready to battle this feral 'Otiga'. It growled and then stalked towards them.

"Please, let me speak to him!" Hay Lin begged, catching Gaia's attention.

"Are you crazy, Hay Lin?" Cornelia asked. "That thing just took down 4 out of 5 of the Agito!"

"That 'thing' is Eric!" Hay Lin countered. "Maybe I can reach him."

"How can you be sure it's Eric anyway?" Irma asked. They hadn't gotten enough clues to support that theory, aside from Frost having his hand in Eric which was then followed by the Air Guardian's crush's disappearance.

"I just know," Hay Lin said. "Guys, I know it's him. I can feel it. I know he won't hurt me!"

Gaia contemplated this and then turned his attention towards the 'Otiga'. The thing's presence was causing his headache to get worst. He could barely focus or sustain his transformation. The 'Otiga' couldn't exactly affect them like this. It was usually before their transformations.

The 'Otiga' looked towards Hay Lin who was slowly and cautiously approaching it. It calmed down a bit. "Eric…?" she asked again, reaching out with her hand. "Eric, if that's really you, please…come here…" She opened her arms invitingly in hopes that it would help keep him calm.The 'Otiga' tilted its head curiously at the female before it retracted its tentacles and then slowly approached her. Hay Lin's heart was beating fast. If this was Eric, she knew he wouldn't hurt her, but if she was wrong…she just hoped she wasn't wrong.

Hay Lin gently placed a hand on the creature's armored head. She could feel the texture of the armor. It wasn't metal, and it felt more organic and alive than the Agito's armors. It felt soft, like leather. The thing didn't make any movement, but then the growl emanating from its throat was starting to sound like…a purr?

Irma blinked. "OK, is that thing purring?"

"Will, are you sure about this?" Matt asked as they watched Hay Lin calming the 'Otiga' down.

"I'm not sure about anything anymore, to be honest," Will said as her eyes were transfixed on the scene as well as the 4 injured and unconscious Agito. Gaia was still readying himself just incase the 'Otiga' did anything that would endanger Hay Lin.

"Eric," Hay Lin realized as she gazed into the creature's large eyes. "It _is_ you." She smiled, with tears falling out of her eyes.

* * *

It was feeling excitement from battling the five changing males. They were strong, but they were just too slow. It was able to beat down four of them and force them to change back. Now there was only one left to fight before it could go on to find the precious thing.

It was about to fight the last one when the female from before stepped closer to the both of them. She looked distressed. For some reason it did not like that. It felt bad at the fact that the female was distressed. The female looked like she was about to speak. Maybe if she did then it could take the source of her distress.

"Eric…?" she asked. "Eric, if that's really you, please…come here…"

The female then opened her arms as if asking for a hug. For its own part, it was confused. There was that name again. For some reason, that name felt familiar. It especially liked it when the female said it. If it would make this female happy then it would be this 'Eric'.

It recalled its weapons, since something told it that hurting this female would be an unforgivable crime. It stepped closer to the female, completely ignoring the last of the five changing males. When it was in front of the single female, she reached up and placed a palm on the side of its face. The touch felt just as soothing as her voice. It couldn't help but purr from the sensations it felt from her. It liked this female. It liked her a lot.

Suddenly, images flashed through its mind. A smile. More clues to the precious thing. The shiny thing was part of a smile. More images of dark hair before the portrait of a face rose in its mind. The precious thing wasn't a thing at all, but a person. This person.

It stared into her eyes and watched as tears began falling down her cheeks. It didn't like to see her cry. She was smiling though. It liked to see her smile. She was crying, yet she was smiling. How confusing.

"Eric," she spoke. "It _is_ you."

It saw more flashes enter its mind. Images of a boy. A boy who stood beside this precious person. Dark hair. Tanned skin. Then something came to its mind, a meeting between the precious person and the boy. Her smile was shiny. It and the boy liked shiny things. That is what made them notice her at first.

It reached up and touched her cheek as gently as it could. Gentle was a tricky subject to it, but it managed since she nuzzled its hand slightly.

"H…H…Haaaaay…Li…Liiiiinnn," it groaned out. It didn't know what the strange words it managed to choke out were, but they were connected to the precious person. It was sure of that.

The precious person seemed to know them two. Her tears began to come out even more before she wrapped her arms around it and sobbed loudly.

"Oh, Eric!" she cried. "What did he do to you?"

* * *

The other Guardians, one rebel leader, a Regent of Earth, and one Agito watched in surprise as Hay Lin hugged the 'Otiga'. The 'Otiga' wasn't even attacking her. Could this really be…Eric?

Slowly, the 'Otiga' began to change in her arms. The organic armor was slowly being absorbed into its body as its face changed into a more human-like one. Hair began to grow and very soon the Otiga in the Air Guardian's arms had turned back into the ever familiar form of Eric Lyndon. Hay Lin held onto the boy who had fallen asleep in his change. She was glad to have him back…

But what were they going to do now?

* * *

The Dark Figure had felt the Agito's power as well as the partial awakening of a Gills. The Agito were trouble enough, but a Gills? Gills may not be perfect Agito but they were unpredictable and ferocious fighters that acted based on instinct more than on rational thought. It didn't make them any less dangerous, though. He knew he could beat a single Gills, but they were a lot of trouble if allowed to realize their true potential.

The Dark Figure knew what he had to do. First, he would punish Frost for waking the Gills up, then he would eliminate this new Gills.

Maybe all Gills would need was a doctor's appointment? Its last appointment.

* * *

"So what did you do?" as Mirra as she and her 'sister' tended to the beaten and bruised Warriors.

"We got him back to the hospital, that's what we did," Cornelia replied. "He looked like a wreck to be honest."

After Eric was snoozing soundly in Hay Lin's arms, the rest of the girls took in on themselves to wake up the boys and get them somewhere safe. Caleb and Matt were 'volunteered' by Hay Lin to help carry her boyfriend back to the hospital. Zacharias was already there, trying to get some kind of answers out of the doctors about what might have made his grandson escape through a window.

The rest of the Guardians brought the Warriors back to the restaurant so to have Yan Lin and Mirra treat their bruises. All of the boys had bruises on their bodies and would definitely be feeling the fight for a while to come.

"I suppose this will teach you to never underestimate an opponent," Yan Lin sighed as she brought a bundle of cloth full of ice out for Adrian and his swelling eye.

"We learn something new everyday," Adrian groaned as he took the makeshift icepack. His arm suddenly throbbed as the reminder of his bad landing after Eric had kicked him came back to haunt him. "Ow!"

"Here," Will sighed as she took the icepack. She then gently had Adrian lean his head back before placing the ice pack over the bruise which covered his eye and a side of his face. "You need to take it easy."

"Sure," Adrian frowned slightly. A thought then came to his head before he smirked. "Matt would probably blow a fuse if he saw us like this."

Will took notice of their position at that comment. Adrian was leaning back on his seat with Will right behind him, almost letting him rest on her. She struggled to hide her blush at the embarrassing position and focused on Adrian's bruises. "Oh, shut up. Matt knows we're only friends."

Adrian just snickered.

Gerald groaned slightly as the cold from Irma's icepack was placed on his forehead His neck was sore after the devastating knee to the face that Eric had dealt him. The Guardian of Water was fussing over him.

"Man, he dealt a number to you guys," she frowned.

"Don't I know it, Water Sprite," Gerald groaned. "Eric's got some strength on his side."

"Well, don't try to move, okay?" Irma sighed as she subconsciously rubbed his shoulder to try and comfort him. "You guys really scared us when we saw him take you down."

"Tried our best and he still beat us down," Gerald frowned. "Are we sure he's even an Otiga?"

"How can he be anything else?" asked Ian from where Taranee was helping him tend to his nose. He was afraid it was broken, but after a brief look, everything looked okay.

"I think Gerald's right," Oliver groaned as Cornelia patched up some minor cuts on his chest. All the while she was muttering how he shouldn't risk himself since it would upset Elyon. "I've been here the least, but all the Otiga I've seen I can usually tell what animal they're mixed with. With whatever Eric turned into, I couldn't see it."

"Good observation," Tyler nodded. "He didn't have the same belt that the Otiga wear either. If anything, it looked like it wasn't finished developing or something."

A crash was heard as Yan Lin gasped and dropped her plate. Everyone turned to her to see that her eyes were wide with shock.

"Not finished developing," she gasped. "Oh, how could I not see it before!?"

"What is it?" asked Will.

"I believe I know what Eric has been turned into," Yan Lin frowned.

"Well?" asked Cornelia. "Out with it!"

"Do you girls remember what I told you about Agito after Adrian first appeared as Shadow Agito?" the aged woman asked. Seeing nods, she continued. "I also recall warning all of you about a being known as Gills."

"Gills?" Oliver questioned, unfamiliar with the term. "What's that?"

Yan Lin and Mirra both explained to AGITO what a Gills was. In a nutshell it was an imperfect form of Agito.

"You did mention it," Taranee nodded. "If you think Eric has become one though, we need to know what it can do."

"Well, you saw a little of what it can do today, I believe," Yan Lin explained. "Its entire body is its weapon. The blades and tentacles are all part of its body, organic weaponry. The only downside that is truly known is that Gills has no real rational mind. It's more animalistic than anything."

"I doubt that," Tyler commented. "If that was true then he wouldn't have recognized Hay Lin or go like a puppy for her just by seeing her."

Mirra spoke, "Maybe, the animalistic part of the Gills recognizes Hay Lin as…" she paused, "Its mate."

This caused everyone to go silent.

"O…kay…" Irma spoke awkwardly. "Seriously, its _mate_?"

"Does Eric even think like that?" Taranee asked.

"From what we saw, I don't think it's much of a stretch," Tyler said. When Hay Lin had approached Gills, it didn't react as violently as it did with the Agito. In fact, it acted docile and gentle with her. "He didn't seem to want to attack her."

"Well, guys, we still got a problem," Will said. "How are we going to break it to Eric?"

"Are you sure?" Adrian asked. "I mean maybe he's like us. Maybe he doesn't remember turning into Gills."

"Maybe," Will half-agreed, "But do we really want to take that chance? Besides, Eric needs, no, deserves to know about this. What happens if he loses control and turns into Gills again?"

"Well, if that ever happened we can just send Hay Lin," Gerald suggested. "And he'll start acting like a little puppy."

* * *

Hay Lin stayed with Eric as he lay in bed, sleeping soundly. She would caress his face one in a while as she gazed down on him. He had been through too much and all because of her. First was the Nerissa thing and now this? Now, he had turned into something else. She began to cry but wiped away the tears. She didn't want Eric to wake up seeing her sobbing. He didn't need to even get a hint that something was wrong.

Meanwhile, Caleb and Matt were both outside the room, guarding the boy. Matt had received a call from Will telling him that Eric might still be in danger of himself. Shagon could at least hold him off while Hay Lin tried to talk sense into him.

In a way, Matt knew what Eric was going through. During his start as Shagon, he was trapped within his own body as he was forced to see the horrible things Shagon would do. It hurt him to see Will get hurt all because of him. He didn't want to see it happen again. Not even to Hay Lin.

Matt had doubled back home to pick up Mr. Huggles, his pet dormouse as well as another one of the Regents of Earth. Huggles could turn into Khor the Destroyer, a beast man with incredible strength and loyal to Matt. He had the raw power that could match an Otiga. They just needed to test that theory.

"So, how long are we supposed to stay here?" Caleb asked his younger friend.

"I guess maybe all night," Matt shrugged. "So, who's gonna go pick up food from the cafeteria?"

"Well, I'm not sure about this place, so it's you then," Caleb smirked.

"Fine…" Matt sighed. He was still feeling uncomfortable about leaving Adrian alone with Will. He just didn't trust the black Agito around his girlfriend. He, however, did have to let it be. He then sniffed the air, "Hey, do you smell something?"

Caleb sniffed and grimaced. No, it couldn't be… "Blunk…"

They could see one of the supply closet doors swing open as a small goblin-like creature tumbled out, covered in toilet paper. He landed and looked up to see Caleb and Matt. "Hi, boys. Where girls?"

* * *

Frost had returned and his welcoming party was anything but pleasant.

"Ugh!" Frost grunted as he was slammed against the wall by his new 'master'. The Dark Figure's face was close to his and his eyes were glowing red and looked REALLY unhappy.

"_YOU FOOL!_" The Dark Figure roared. "_DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU'VE DONE!?_" He threw Frost into a table, breaking it in half. "_THE AGITO WERE BAD ENOUGH, BUT YOUR INCOMPETENCE HAS JUST AWAKENED A GILLS!_"

"What do you want me to do then!?" Frost yelled out.

"_I want you to go to the hospital…and terminate him_," the Dark Figure growled. "_Well, what are you waiting for!? Go, NOW!_" Frost then rushed out of the bookstore, putting on his human disguise in his rush. Cedric and Miranda both laughed at their colleagues' misfortune but then stopped frozen as the Dark Figure looked at them. "_You two, go with him. Make sure he doesn't fail_."

* * *

Frost moved as if hell was hot on his heels. He didn't need this screw up getting his new master already mad at him. He didn't know what a Gills was, but if it was enough to get his new master upset then it was definitely something he didn't want hanging around because of him.

"So what are you going to do?" asked Miranda with a smirk,

"What else?" Frost frowned. "I'm going to make an Otiga and crush this Gills thing before it becomes a problem."

"Are you sure you're up to it?" asked Cedric with a smirk. "You screwed up the last time which is what led us to this little situation we're in."

"SHUT UP!" Frost roared. "I would have gotten us another Otiga out of that kid if the Guardian of Air hadn't blasted me!"

"Excuses," Miranda snorted. "Just don't screw it up again or else the master might just turn you insides into soup."

Frost shivered at the memory of the master gripping his heart in his cold grip. It was something he didn't want to experience ever again. If it could get any worse then he really didn't want to know about it.

"So what if this kid has people watching him?" asked Cedric. "The Guardians and the other Agito are going to. If he's dangerous enough to get the master going then you know they are going to keep an eye on him."

"Then you two can deal with them," Frost frowned. "If you can manage that then I'll deal with the Gills."

"Just be sure not to screw up," Cedric spoke.

* * *

"Is he okay?" Hay Lin asked with some worry as she watched the doctor examine Eric's sleeping form.

"Well," the doctor frowned as he examined the boy. "He seems to just be resting at this point. I'm beginning to think that he might have inhaled something from the explosion that made him move in his sleep. I've seen weirder things. Just some bed rest and he'll be alright. I'd feel better if we kept an eye on him for the night."

"That's good," Hay Lin smiled as she ran her fingers through Eric's hair.

"I guess I'll leave you alone," the doctor nodded. "No funny business."

"Sure," Hay Lin nodded. The doctor gave a brief goodbye before leaving the room. As the doctor left, Matt and Caleb stuck their heads inside.

"How is he?" asked Caleb as he munched on a candy bar that Matt had snagged.

"The doctor says he's going to be fine," Hay Lin smiled. "He just needs some rest."

"Glad to hear some good news for a change," Matt grinned. Huggles squeaked in apparent agreement.

Blunk stuck his own head in and noticed the hospital bed. He looked around curiously, but even he got the idea that he shouldn't try anything funny.

"Boy okay?" he asked.

"He will be," Hay Lin answered with a smile.

"Now all he has to do is wake up," Matt sighed. "Who knows when that's going to be."

Hay Lin just nodded in reply. She knew that, but that didn't stop her good mood since she was sure that he would wake up soon enough.

* * *

The doctor who had beem tending to Eric was walking down the hall while checking his notes on the young man's condition. A strange one to be sure, but nothing life threatening. Just odd, but that was somewhat the norm for Heatherfield these days.

As he was walking through one of the hallways, he strolled past a door which went into an observation room that some of the surgeons would use for their patients. As he walked past it, the door slammed open and the familiar form of Frost leaped out and snagged the man before pulling him back in. The door slammed shut before a bright light could be seen coming through the cracks in the door. The light quickly turned purple before dimming. The door opened and the doctor stumbled out with a dead look in his eyes. Frost followed him with a pale glow dimming on his glove.

"Okay," he frowned. "You go get rid of the Gills. You'd better not screw up either!"

"Giiiiiilllllllsss," the doctor moaned before he started shuffling down the hall again.

"At least you can make an Otiga properly," Miranda snickered.

"Didn't I tell you to shut up?" Frost growled. "Just get ready incase it needs backup."

* * *

Caleb was leaning against the wall while Matt was feeding Mr. Huggles some of the fruits he had managed to snag from the cafeteria. Blunk was snoozing at Matt's feet, hidden by Caleb's jacket. He wanted to talk to Hay Lin, but she seemed focused on the boy in the bed so he couldn't.

The noises of footsteps caught everyone's attention. Matt and Caleb both looked down the hall to see the doctor returning. He seemed to be a little unsteady on his feet though.

"Hey, Doc," Matt waved. "Back so soon?"

"Forgot to check something," the doctor spoke in almost a mumble. "Won't take too long."

"Go right in," Caleb shrugged as he gestured to the door to the room.

The doctor nodded before he walked in and shut the door behind him. Matt was about to go back to feeding Mr. Huggles when he suddenly felt shivering coming from Blunk.

"Something wrong Blunk?" Matt asked with a frown.

"Man feel bad!" Blunk shivered. "He filled with dark stuff. Remind me of bird thing back on Meridian!"

"Bird thing?" Caleb blinked. His eyes then suddenly widened in realization. "Otiga!"

"What are you doing?!" Hay Lin's voice shrieked from within the room.

Matt and Caleb both stiffened before they slammed the door open. Inside the room, Hay Lin was desperately holding the doctor back from Eric. The doctor was holding a scalpel and was attempting to try and stab the sleeping boy with it.

"Huggles!" Matt cried to the dormouse.

Mr. Huggles acted fast and leaped off Matt's shoulders towards the crazed doctor. In mid-air, he transformed into Khor the Destroyer, looking like a large humanoid beast which was wearing a bluish tunic with boots on his feet. His head took on a more wolverine-ish look. The second Regent of Earth gripped the doctor from behind and yanked him away from Hay Lin and Eric.

"What is wrong with you?!" Hay Lin cried out at the doctor.

"We think he's an Otiga!" Caleb cried as he circled around the struggling doctor so that Khor could drag him into the hall.

"What?!" Hay Lin gaped in absolute shock.

As by hearing the word 'Otiga', the doctor's eyes flashed before black smoke began swirling around him, forcing Khor to let go.

The smoke continued to swirl until it began to dissipate. This new Otiga had white clammy skin and had dark green armor which adorned long skinny arms and legs. It had an elongated head which had eyes on the side and no discernable mouth. Several tentacles hung down its back. Clamped around its waist was the usual belt which signified an Otiga.

"Giiiiiiilllllllssss," it growled as it stared at the room's occupants, the one in the bed received the hardest stare.

Matt immediately turned into Shagon and grabbed the Otiga. Both Khor and Caleb grabbed the monster too before dragging it away from Eric's room. They were struggling with it since the thing was hell bent on completing its mission of destroying Eric.

"What do we do!?" Hay Lin asked. Blunk's idea was simple. Wake Eric up!

"Boy, wake up!" Blunk yelled in Eric's face, slapping him on occasion. The passling then got an idea. The girls did say that he stunk REALLY horribly. Blunk then took in a deep breath of air and then breathed right at Eric's face.

The effect was instantaneous as Eric's eyes shot open and he quickly sat up, "GAH!" Blunk fell off the bed in shock as the boy was coughing while at the same time trying to breathe in fresh hair and to get rid of the odorous fumes around his head. His watery eyes finally focused on Hay Lin. "Hay Lin? What's going on? Where am I?" Hay Lin grabbed his arm and pulled him out of bed.

"No time to explain, Eric," Hay Lin said to him. "Your life is in danger!"

"Danger?" he asked. "What kind of-" His question was cut off when the Squid Otiga came back into the room. Apparently, it was able to shake off the two Regents. "WHAT THE HECK IS THAT!?"

"GIIIILLLLLLSSSSSS!!" the Squid Otiga roared before spitting ink bombs at the boy.

"Hold on!" Hay Lin shouted before they both turned invisible. The bombs splattered all over the pillow before it was melted by the blank inky substance. It had missed. Blunk cautiously tip-toed around the monster before hightailing it out of the room.

Hay Lin turned visible again outside of the room. Eric asked, shocked, "Hay Lin, how did you do _that_?" He was referring to when they had gone invisible.

Down the hall Hay Lin could see that Caleb was beat up and both Shagon and Khor were barely holding it up. They look pretty beat. "You guys okay?" Hay Lin asked Shagon.

"With all things considered, that could've turned out a whole lot better," Shagon said.

Eric was definitely freaked. Hay Lin was talking to a guy with wings and a gold mask like it was something normal! "Hay Lin, I _really_ wanna know what's going on!" Eric said, slightly panicked.

"To put it simply," Caleb grunted as he picked himself up, "That thing wants to kill you."

"Why!?" Eric asked in panic.

"GIIIIIILLLLLLLLSSSSSSSSS!!" the Squid Origa roared as it had found them, striking a terrified Blunk who was running for his life. Blunk squeaked in fear before he went and hid in a nearby trashcan.

"No time, we have to get out of here!" Hay Lin opened a window. "Follow me!"

"Out a window?" Eric asked. "Are you crazy!?" Hay Lim took hold of his hand and smiled at him, gazing into his eyes. She gave him a large grin, showing off the shiny braces he loved so much.

"Don't you trust me?" Hay Lin asked. Gulping, Eric held tightly onto Hay Lin's hand before the two of them leapt out of the window. The Squid Otiga went to follow but was blocked by Khor and Shagon.

"You're not going anywhere," Caleb said. The trio then charged at the Squid Otiga.

Eric screamed as both he and Hay Lin sped towards the ground. _'How could she be so calm about this?_' he asked himself mentally. Suddenly, he could be feel their descent was slowing down. He blinked as they softly landed just outside the building. "Let's go," Hay Lin said, pulling Eric's arm. He wouldn't budge. "Eric?"

"Hay Lin, I really want to know what's going on," he requested, a serious expression on his face. "What was that thing? Why did it want to kill me? And how come we're not street pizza?"

Hay Lin cringed. She really didn't want to tell him about all this. It was whole lot better that he just remained an innocent bystander in all this. He didn't deserve to be in danger all the time just because of her.

"It's called an Otiga," Hay Lin explained. It was breaking her heart to do this because of her fear that Eric would hate her for revealing all this, including what he was capable of. "It used to be a person who has strange abilities that had the source corrupted. I'm not sure how it happens, but I know it does."

"Okay," Eric nodded as he glanced back at the window he and his girlfriend had just flown out of. He could hear the sounds of fighting between the squid thing and those three guys who were in the room when he woke up. Tentacles, feathers, and fur could be seen flying from the open window.

"You have abilities too?" Eric asked as he turned back to his girlfriend. He remembered her turning invisible with him. She nodded, quietly, almost afraid of using her voice since it might betray her. "Then why is that thing after _me_?" he asked

"Because you have something special," Hay Lin answered. She was trying to be truthful, but even she was a little confused. "I'm not sure what it is but whoever is making the Otiga thinks you're a threat or else he wouldn't have sent that thing after you."

"Wait," Eric frowned. "Does it have anything to do with the weird-looking guy who stuck his hand in my chest or that dream I had about fighting those armored guys I saw before you calmed me down?"

"Yeah," Hay Lin nodded. "Only that dream wasn't really a dream."

"Huh?" Eric blinked before a loud crashing noise echoed from above.

Both teens looked up to see what appeared to be Khor and Caleb being thrown into the open air by the tentacles of the Squid Otiga. Shagon flew after them and gripped their arms to keep them from falling to the ground and becoming street pizza.

More sounds of glass shattering could be heard as the Squid Otiga launched itself from the window. Its tentacles gripped a nearby tree and let it swing itself to the ground where it glared at Eric.

"Giiiiiiilllllllssss," it groaned.

* * *

**AGIT****Ώ**


	8. The Curse of Gills

**AGITΏ: Warriors of Creation.**

Eric and Hay Lin were finding themselves in a sticky situation. Hay Lin had returned Eric to the hospital after a harrowing experience with his transformation into Gills. Matt and Caleb had helped her bring him in. After a while, one of the doctors tried to kill Eric before changing into a squid-like Otiga, which caused Shagon, Khor, and Caleb to begin fighting it while Hay Lin attempted to get Eric away from the battle.

Her attempt failed as the Otiga hurled Caleb and Khor out of the window, forcing Shagon to fly out and save them, allowing the Otiga to go after its target.

"Gillllllssssss," it hissed at both Eric and Hay Lin as it stalked closer to the pair.

"Get back!" Hay Lin cried as she tried to shield Eric from the Otiga. Her powers were definitely limited when she wasn't in her Guardian form, but the Otiga didn't know that.

The Squid Otiga didn't even seem to notice her. Its gaze was trained solely on Eric. Its tentacles were beginning to rise in anticipation of a kill-shot. Hay Lin was beginning to get really scared.

Eric knew he was way out of his league with what was going on. He was wandering the dark without a light. What he did know was that the creature, which Hay Lin had called an 'Otiga', was hunting him. Now his girlfriend was planting herself in front of it with the aim to stop it. Eric didn't know what was going on, but he knew that he didn't want Hay Lin to get hurt because of it. With that goal in mind, he knew what he had to do.

"Hey, Ugly!" he called before he began running towards the parking lot. "I'm the one you want right? I'm over here!"

"Eric, no!" Hay Lin cried.

The Squid Otiga was quick to follow. It wanted the boy and didn't care who else got in its way or how far he ran. It would catch him. Hay Lin acted quickly and sent a blast of air at the Otiga. Unfortunately, in her normal human form, it lacked the full power it would've had in her empowered Guardian form. Therefore, the Otiga was able to avoid the attack and continue its chase after Eric.

Knowing she couldn't help Eric on her own, she took out her phone to call her friends. After giving Will a short summary of what was going on, she went after the Otiga and Eric.

In the parking lot, the Otiga lashed out with its tentacles at Eric. The boy ducked from a strike headed for his head before rolling away from another lashing. A car ended up crushed under the force of the lashing. Gulping, Eric mentally noted to not get hit.

For some reason, Eric had grown faster and more agile. His senses appeared sharper and so have his reflexes. He was unsure of how this happened but he was glad it did. He was making sure this thing was not hurting Hay Lin.

His luck ran out, however, when one of the tentacles tripped him before several others grabbed onto him tightly. He screamed as the tentacles started to crush him.

Hay Lin yelled out, upon seeing this, "Eric!" before turning herself invisible to sneak up on the Otiga. Unfortunately, the Otiga sensed her presence and used one of its tentacles to smash her into the car. Eric could hear Hay Lin yell out as she hit the car before she fell unconscious from the hit.

That was all Eric could stand as something inside of him awakened. His eyes snapped wide open. Glowing a bright emerald green as he gritted his teeth. He began to struggle against his bonds as the Otiga started to crush him again, but this time with difficulty and resistance from the boy. The boy was thrashing in the Otiga's grip.

Suddenly, a green flash could be seen coming from the boy as he slowly began to change. His skin turned blood red as organic armor generated onto his body. His fingertips turned into sharp claws as mandibles began to replace the boy's mouth. His eyes began to turn bulbous like an insect's as a pair of horns jutted out of his forehead.

All of a sudden, the Otiga's tentacles were ripped to shreds as it screeched in pain. Oozing black blood resembling ink dripped from its severed tentacles as it locked its gaze upon the boy…but the boy was no longer there. He was now replaced by a vicious red armored humanoid.

Gills roared loudly before charging straight at the Otiga, landing a violent punch to its face to put it down to the ground. The Otiga rolled along the pavement but got back to its feet in time to dodge a vicious axe kick. It then fired several black ink bombs at Gills, causing the berserker warrior to stagger from the blasts. Making distance between itself and Gills, the Otiga regenerated its tentacles and lashed them out at Gills. Gills saw the tentacles coming and summoned his weapons, a pair of blades, from his wrists. He then used the blades to slice and dice the tentacles, causing the Otiga to scream again. Gills then dashed towards his opponent and stabbed it in the chest before bringing his head down on the Otiga's shoulder and biting a chunk right out of it, causing the Otiga to screech. Gills then kicked the Otiga away, withdrawing his blades before continuing his attack.

* * *

The sounds of a battle were what the boys of AGITO and the four remaining girls of WITCH found when they arrived at the hospital. Will had received a call from Hay Lin, and not even one minute into the call, she began to panic. The second the call had ended, Will told everyone that there was an Otiga attack at the hospital and it was after Eric.

One quick tele-transportation later, the small group was at the hospital in a more shaded area, and right next to a battle zone. They barely got the light out of their eyes when the Squid Otiga was launched across the asphalt.

"Woah!" Irma gasped. "Matt and Caleb must be going to town on that thing."

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!"

The blood of the group suddenly went cold. That was a sound that they remembered very well. The boys knew it even better since the owner of the roar had kicked their butts thoroughly when they last met. Their fears were confirmed when the armored form of Gills dashed into sight and tackled the Otiga.

"Not this again," Oliver trembled. He could still feel the beatings that Eric's darker side had inflicted on him and the other Agito.

"But where are Hay Lin, Matt, and Caleb?" asked Cornelia with growing worry.

A soft groan could be heard nearby, even over the sounds of battle. Adrian was the first to see where it had come from. His eyes widened when he saw the Guardian of Air was unconscious against a car.

"Hay Lin!" Taranee cried in shock. She and the four girls dashed to their downed friend.

"Wake up, Hay Lin!" Will cried as she shook the oriental girl. "Please wake up, Hay Lin!"

Meanwhile, the others were watching Gills beat the crud out of the Squid Otiga. He straddled his opponent and began pummeling its face with punches. The Squid Otiga was unable to find an opening to unleash a proper counter.

"Um…shouldn't we be helping him?" Irma asked as she watched Gills jump away from the Otiga, just in time before he got inked.

"Which one?" Gerald asked as he watched Gills land a vicious slash to the Otiga's chest with his claws.

Adrian added, "If you're talking about Eric then I don't think he's having any problems dealing with that Otiga." Gills had just ducked a strike to his head before chomping down on the tentacle and pulling the Otiga so he could punch it in the face.

"Better that thing than us," Ian put in, remembering the beating he'd received from Gills before. The same beating was being administered on the Otiga as Gills landed a rather hard knee strike to its face.

"But after he finishes that thing off, then what?" Oliver gulped when he saw Gills fire off his spike-tipped tentacles, causing them to get stuck in the Otiga's chest before throwing it into a car, breaking the windshield and denting the hood. "Hope that guy has insurance." Gills then threw the Otiga into a motorcycle, making the gathered audience wince.

"Hope this whole hospital has insurance, you mean," Tyler said.

Will was finally able to awaken Hay Lin as the Chinese girl's eyes opened. She groaned, holding her head where she could feel the headache pounding. Will had managed to smile with relief. "Will…?"

"Oh, thank goodness!" Will said.

"Where's Eric?" Hay Lin askedbut then she heard the loud roar that belonged to Gills. "Oh, I had to ask."

"Right now Eric is handling himself okay," Will said, watching as the two monsters battled again, trading strikes with one another. "Don't know how long, though." She then asked, "Do you know where Matt and the others are?"

"Right here," Matt called out as he walked over whilst helping to carry Caleb. The former rebel leader had sprained his ankle and hopping on one leg as Matt supported him. Mr. Huggles was riding on Matt's head. Cornelia's eyes widened in concern as she ran over to them.

"Are you okay?" Cornelia asked her boyfriend.

"I've had worse," Caleb managed to smile before wincing.

"He's only got a sprained ankle," Matt told her. "So…Gills is out to play," Matt managed to say as Gills slashed at the tentacles striking at him. "What happens after he beats that thing?"

"I'm afraid to ask," Will frowned.

The Squid Otiga couldn't take anymore of Gills ferocity. He was like a vicious animal. Now, Gills stood to finish off his opponent. He unleashed an earsplitting roar, "ROOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!" which had the Warriors and Guardians closing their ears.

"Man, that stings!" Oliver exclaimed.

"What!?" Irma yelled, trying to hear him through the roaring.

Hay Lin closed her ears and just watched as Gills executed his attack. She could see the curved blades protruding from his ankles before he leapt into the air. The Squid Otiga looked up and saw Gills coming down on him with a heel kick. The blade on his heel imbedded itself into its shoulder, causing black blood to spill out. The Otiga screamed out as the crystal in its belt glowed. Gills then landed the finished blow by raising his other foot and smashing in hard into the belt before kicking off the Otiga. The Otiga staggered backwards as it convulsed with the crystal in its belt glowing brightly. Its body then exploded in a fiery haze. Gills watched as the flames dispersed revealing the doctor, now restoredand unconscious on the ground.

Gills then started walking towards the unconscious doctor, his instincts telling him to finish him off once and for all. However, Hay Lin then ran over, arms spread out to block his path.

"No! Eric, don't!" she pleaded, desperately. "It's over! He's already beaten!"

Gills froze when he heard that name again. Just why did it sound so familiar? The female began to cry. He knew he didn't like to see the female cry. He then felt the girls hand on his face. He remembered liking this feeling so he kneeled down. He purred at the touch and Hay Lin smiled as she effectively calmed down Gills.

The others stood back and watched.

"No matter how many times I see Hay Lin do it, it's still amazing," Taranee said.

"Who knew she could tame the savage beast," Irma commented.

"But will Eric remember anything?" Matt asked.

"What do you mean?" Will asked.

"He…kinda saw us, actually," Matt confessed. "And saw Hay Lin use her powers."

Gerald frowned, "That does not sound good."

"What should we do once he changes back?" Oliver asked. "Convince him he was dreaming?"

"We could always kill him and bury his body," Adrian joked receiving strange looks. "I'm only kidding!"

As Hay Lin started to pacify Gills, she got in closer and hugged him. She hummed and asked softly, "Change back, please?" The glow in Gills' eyes dimmed as he felt the change overtake him. His organic armor started to withdraw back into the skin along with the horns and mandibles. His eyes also turned back to normal as the mutation reversed itself. Once again, in Gills place, was Eric. Hay Lin smiled as she hugged the boy to herself. He was asleep. He must've exhausted himself fighting.

The boys and girls then walked closer towards the couple and looked around at the damage.

"So…now what?" Cornelia asked.

"I guess we take Eric back to his room," Will said.

"I'll carry him," Adrian volunteered.

* * *

Blunk stuck his head out from the trashcan and asked, "Boys? Hay Lin? Is coast clear? Hello…?"

* * *

Using another tele-transportation spell, after making sure no one was around to see, Will was able to transport herself, Hay Lin, Adrian and an unconscious Eric back into the room. Adrian lay the boy who became Gills gently on the before Hay Lin lifted up the covers.

Will gave a silent gesture towards Adrian for them to leave the couple alone. Adrian needn't to be told twice before going towards the door and walking out, closing the door behind them.

Hay Lin sat down next to the bed and gazed down on Eric. It just didn't feel fair to have him suffer like this. As far as she knew, whenever he turned into Gills he would loose nearly all consciousness and the animalistic instincts of his Gills form would be in control. She knew he could still remember what he'd done as Gills since he'd told her about his 'dreams'.

Maybe…maybe that was a sign…for her to tell him the truth. He deserved to know, now more than ever. It was the only way she could think of to keep him safe again.

* * *

Frost snuck out of the observation room, dressed as a surgeon and using a mask to cover his face. He'd seen what that thing, that Gills, could do and even though he'd seen and done a lot of vicious things in his lifetime, he knew he couldn't beat Gills on his own without any heavy injuries.

He froze when he saw the red-haired Guardian and the boy who turned into the black Agito walk past him. Thankfully, they hadn't recognized him. Right now he didn't want to have to face either of them. The girl was the keeper of the Heart of Kandrakar, thus making her the most powerful of the Guardians and with the black Agito close, he may have trouble getting out of this hospital.

As Frost walked around a corner, Will voiced out, "Was it just me, or did that surgeon look kinda familiar?"

Adrian shrugged, "Must be a coincidence." He paused, "So, what are we going to do about Eric now?"

Will shook her head, unsure of what to do, "I really don't know, Adrian. I mean, he's technically an Agito too."

"An Agito with a personality problem, unfortunately," Adrian said, remembering the beating Eric as Gills had given him.

"Which means he needs to learn to control it," Will finished.

They both drew the same conclusion.

"He needs to know."

* * *

"Nice dress," Miranda commented as Frost came out through a back door. He growled as he threw off his disguise.

"Shut up!" he yelled at her only for Cedric to frown.

"Your latest plan failed, Frost," Cedric said. "The Gills survived."

"I know that!" Frost shot back, "I'm not stupid!"

"I don't know," Miranda smirked, "Recent events have proven otherwise."

"You've failed too!" Frost snapped.

"At least I never got my tail kicked into the air by the Air Guardian," Miranda cleverly retorted, causing Frost to growl at her with rage. Cedric decided to nip this argument in the bud.

"Let's all return to the master," Cedric said. "He must know about this."

Frost stared Cedric incredulously, "You actually consider that freak our new master?"

"I'd be careful of what I say about him," Cedric warned. "I don't want my heart crushed, literally."

Frost shuddered, remembering when their new master had nearly crushed his heart. That was a feeling he did not want to feel ever again. Having someone's cold fingers curled around your heart was more than just little painful.

A simple spell from Cedric took them away from the spot. No reason to stick around and end up in another fight. They needed to plan and strategize their next move.

* * *

Hay Lin continued to keep her silent vigil over Eric. Now that it was confirmed that Eric was now a target because of his powers as Gills, all the Guardians and Warriors were taking turns making sure only doctors and family entered the room. Only Cornelia was absent as she helped Caleb rest his ankle from the sprain. Matt leaned against the wall next to the door, since it was his turn for watch duty. Mr. Huggles snoozed on his head contentedly.

As he was guarding, Will walked around the corner and smiled at her boyfriend, "How are you feeling?"

"Well, a little sore," Matt shrugged. He rubbed his arm unconsciously since he had a lot of strain on his arms from carrying both Caleb and Khor. "Those Otiga really pack a punch."

"Sure do," Will nodded. She took on a solemn look. "I really want to thank you for helping us. We couldn't do it without you."

"Aw come on, Will," Matt smiled. "Just try to keep me away."

"Now why would I do something like that?" Will giggled as she leaned against her boyfriend, grabbing him in a hug.

The boys of AGITO were waiting in the cafeteria with the remaining three Guardians while they waited for visiting hours to end. Gerald leaned on the table while Irma sat next to him. She was leaning slightly into his side. Thankfully the situation was too serious for anyone to tease her about it. Taranee was getting some food while Ian sat with Oliver and Tyler. Cornelia was still fussing over Caleb at her own table. Adrian just walked into the room before taking a seat at the table with his friends.

"So what are we going to do about Eric?" asked Tyler.

"Will and I both agreed that he deserves to know what's going on," Adrian answered simply. "He already saw Shagon, Khor, and Hay Lin's powers. There's no way he wouldn't remember unless the transformation into Gills takes that much of a toll on him."

"We could always ask Elyon to erase his memories," Irma suggested.

"She can do that?" Gerald asked.

"She can do a lot of things," Irma said, remembering the times when they'd been forced to fight Elyon. As the Heart of Meridian, Elyon had untapped and unimaginable power. Hers was a power that Phobos had been all too happy to exploit while he used to be on the throne.

"But, unfortunately, it won't help with our problem since Gills is a part of him," Tyler pointed out. "I mean, even if we do purge his memory of all this, Gills will awaken and then we'll have to do it all over again."

"So, we might as well welcome him into the group," Ian added.

"Are you sure we should do that?" Oliver said, worriedly. "I mean, he's kinda scary." He had experience with fighting Gills and had witnessed Gills' brutality. He was an uncontrollable and savage force, fighting more based on instinct rather than rational thought.

"Then we have to teach him how to control it," Taranee said, logically. "I mean, most of you guys had trouble controlling your own Seeds, it's the same for Eric."

"I could always teach him some meditation exercises," Tyler volunteered.

"And maybe some other skills for him to use to fight consciously and not having to rely on Gills' savage instincts," Ian said.

"But, that does mean he has to be told of everything," Irma said. "So, who's gonna do it?" Irma asked for volunteers.

"I will," they heard and they saw Hay Lin walking over to take a seat.

"How's he doing?" Taranee asked her friend.

"He's sleeping, like a baby," Hay Lin smiled slightly. "And seeing him like that makes me think that he deserves to know about all of this."

"He's your boyfriend, so it's your call to make," Adrian said. "Just ask yourself this: can you trust him?"

Hay Lin didn't hesitate or think of the answer. She just said it, "I do."

"Then we trust you to make the right decision, Hay Lin."

"Besides, you're the only one who can control him whenever he changes into Gills," Oliver said. He didn't want to handle Gills on his own. He really didn't.

"By the way," Hay Lin began, "Have any of you seen Blunk?"

* * *

A nurse went to a trashcan to dispose of some garbage and heard a muffled, "Thank you," coming from it. She then curiously turned around to see if anyone was there before shrugging and walking off. Blunk poked his head out, eating the remains out of a pudding cup and a half eaten donut. "Why they say hospital food not so good?"

* * *

"Nope, can't say we have," Gerald said, shrugging.

"Oh."

* * *

Back at the bookstore, the team of villains was not having a pleasant meeting as Frost found himself pinned against the wall by the malevolent force of his master.

"_YOU'VE FAILED AGAIN!_" the Dark Figure exploded, causing the bookcases to shake and shudder. Miranda and Cedric both stood far away from their master's wrath. They didn't dare voice out anything or make a sound while he was like this. Unfortunately, Frost didn't share their thoughts. "_NOT ONLY DID YOU FAIL TO DESTROY GILLS, APPARENTLY THE BOY CAN CHANGE AT WILL!_"

"For…give me…" Frost gurgled out as his throat was being squeezed. He was finding it difficult to breathe. The Dark Figure dropped him.

"_Well, no matter…_" the Dark Figure said calmly, "_He's still a little unaware of the power he holds so there's still a chance before he regains full control of his powers and become an even bigger threat._"

"How much more of a threat can he become?" Miranda asked. She had witnessed Gills' brutality as he fought Frost's Squid Otiga. He was swift, powerful, and vicious. It reminded her a bit of her beloved Cedric, to be honest. "He's like a savage beast."

The Dark Figure smirked "_Well, even a savage beast can be tamed._"

"Are you suggesting what I'm hoping you're suggesting?" Cedric asked, smiling.

"_I think there's an old saying_," the Dark Figure said, "_If you can't beat them, join them…or in this case, make them join us!_"

"So it's back to the hospital?" Miranda asked.

"_And this time I think you, Miranda, should be going incognito_," the Dark Figure said.

"I do hope they have a nurse's uniform in your size, my love," Cedric said, smiling slyly. Miranda blushed a bit. She knew what he was thinking. Frost just grimaced in disgust at the evil couple. It just seemed…so sick and wrong on so many levels.

* * *

Hay Lin reentered the room to see that, with great relief, that Eric was still asleep and unharmed. Both Tyler and Oliver were outside, guarding, despite the Wind Agito's slight reluctance.

After discussing it with her friends, Hay Lin had decided to come clean and tell Eric EVERYTHING. If it strengthened Matt and Will's relationship, then maybe it'd do the same for theirs. Maybe…she was praying real hard.

She could see Eric's eyes open a little and smiled. "You're awake," she said softly.

Eric yawned and said, "Hay Lin, I had the weirdest dream ever…" Hay Lin bit her lip as he continued, "You were there, and so were Matt and Caleb. I think the others were there too and I was fighting this squid thing and…" She placed her finger to his lips.

"Eric, it wasn't a dream."

* * *

Disguised as a nurse, Miranda entered the hospital. Since the Warriors and Guardians knew what she looked like in human form, she had to put on a blonde wig that went down to her waist and tied into a tight braid. She hated the blasted thing! It made her scalp incredibly itchy!

She went up to the floor where Eric was resting, remembering which room as, before wheeling her cart towards it. However, guarding the door was two of the Agito. She frowned and gritted her teeth in agitation. How was she going to sneak past those two?

* * *

Eric remained calm as Hay Lin told her tale. She told him about herself, the Guardians, Kandrakar, Meridian, the Agito, the Otiga, and finally, Gills. Eric seemed a little shocked, but otherwise neutral.

"Wow," Eric blinked. "This…explains a lot. No wonder I had a golden tan that day."

Hay Lin felt her heart going a mile a minute. Now would be a real do or die moment. Since Eric looked so calm, it looked like a positive sign to her. Maybe he really would accept what was happening.

"Do you hate me?" she asked in a near whisper.

"Huh?" Eric blinked. "Why would I hate you? For what that Nerissa lady did? That wasn't your fault. Heck, this whole Gills thing isn't your fault either."

"But it was!" Hay Lin insisted. She was very close to tears again for what seemed the hundredth time that day. "She used you to get to me. Now Frost hurt you bad and now you turn into Gills!"

"Well," Eric shrugged. "I don't really blame you for that. Do you think I'm a freak by turning into Gills?"

"NO!" Hay Lin cried out. "I could never think of you that way! Gills is your gift! Gills is your power! You're not a freak for being able to use it."

"See?" Eric shrugged. "You don't think it's my fault I become this Gills thing and I don't blame you for what happened with those magic guys. We were at the wrong place at the wrong time as far as I can tell."

Hay Lin finally began to cry again. Eric didn't hate her after all. She finally let herself go as she gripped Eric in a hug and sobbed loudly. He didn't hate her! After all the pain and sadness, he didn't hate her at all!

"Hay Lin," Eric whispered. "Did I hurt that doctor when I was fighting that squid thing?"

"No," Hay Lin answered, muffled by Eric's hospital gown. "Otiga change back after they're beaten. They weren't hurt, just unconscious."

Eric nodded and gripped Hay Lin tighter. While he really didn't mind all the magic and stuff since he found that sort of thing cool, what scared him was Gills. He remembered what he had done as Gills and how ferociously he had fought. Normally, he saw himself as a much nicer and gentle person, but seeing how Gills fought really scared him.

He had to learn how to control it…and soon.

* * *

Tyler and Oliver could see the nurse wheeling a cart towards the room. For some reason, the nurse seemed oddly familiar.

"Do you recognize her?" Oliver asked Tyler.

Tyler rubbed his chin, "She does seem oddly familiar."

"I've come to give Eric Lyndon his medication," the 'nurse' said. Tyler and Oliver stared at her. The door opened and Hay Lin walked out. The 'nurse' scowled.

"How is he doing?" Tyler asked the Air Guardian.

"I told him everything," Hay Lin replied.

"And…?" Oliver said, wanting to know more.

"He's okay with it," Hay Lin finished. Oliver and Tyler sighed, relieved. Hay Lin then took notice of the nurse. "And who are you?"

"Oh, I'm here to give Eric Lyndon his medicine," the nurse explained. Hay Lin narrowed her eyes at the nurse and gasped.

"Miranda!" Hay Lin exclaimed. Miranda realized that her cover was blown.

"I knew there was something familiar about her!" Oliver shouted, getting ready to transform and blast the shape-shifter.

"Nice wig," Tyler joked. "Where'd you get it?"

Scowling and growling, Miranda threw off the wig, glad to be finally rid of the thing, and then morphed into her spider-like beast form. "In the trash like you!" She spat her webbing at Oliver who managed to leap out of the way.

"We have to get her out of here!" Hay Lin shouted, dodging a vicious swipe.

"On it!" Oliver shouted before calling, "Winds of Agito, Transform!" The belt materialized and it released a bright flash after he slammed his palms onto the sides, changing Oliver into Cyclone Agito. Spreading his wings, he then flew towards Miranda and grabbed her before flying out an open window towards outside.

"Call the others," Tyler instructed as he ran towards the window and called out, "Grounds of Agito, Transform!" He smashed his palms onto the sides of his materialized belt, allowing it to release a flash and then donning him in his armor. He then leapt out of the window.

The door slammed open behind Hay Lin to reveal Eric, looking around wildly for the source of the noise, "What's happening?!"

"It's Miranda," Hay Lin answered. "You stay here. We'll handle it"

"But-!" Eric tried to argue. His words went unheeded as Hay Lin ran to get her friends.

Eric knew very well why Miranda was here. If what Hay Lin had said about the new girl was right, then she was here for him. It was because of him that so much destruction had been happening at the hospital.

He wasn't going to let any of his friends or his girlfriend get hurt because of him.

* * *

Miranda was leaping around the parking lot, dodging all of Cyclone's arrows as he fired at her. She was one fast monster as she spat her webbing at him only for him to take to the air to avoid from getting caught.

"Is that all you got?" Cyclone taunted as he continued firing at the shape-shifter.

"I was hoping to tell you the same thing," Miranda hissed before jumping at an impressive height, which caught the green Agito by surprise, before dealing a vicious slash to his chest with her claws before smashing her feet into his face. She spat a length of webbing at a wall and pulled herself towards it, sticking herself to the surface. She watched as Cyclone aimed but then he realized that she was standing close to a window. He couldn't risk missing.

Miranda chuckled but then she was smashed down to the ground by Gaia Agito who'd just, literally, dropped in. She fell on the ground, hard, before glaring at the two Agito with her four hate-filled eyes.

And if that wasn't enough, she could see the Guardians and the rest of the Warriors, plus the rebel leader, Matt and Mr. Huggles entering the scene.

"Miranda!" Cornelia shouted, recognizing the ugly beast, "What are you doing here, spider-bitch!?"

Miranda snickered, "Wow, the gang's all here. Oh, whatever shall I do."

"You should just give up now," Will warned, holding up the Heart. "Unless you wanna be vaporized."

"Threats? Is that what you've reduced yourself too?" Miranda snorted. "Quite unbecoming of a Guardian."

"No more talking!" Irma yelled. "We're bringing you down!"

Will took this as her signal, calling out, "Guardians, Unite!"

"Transform!" Adrian, Ian and Gerald called out.

* * *

Eric walked over towards the window and looked down to see what was going on. His eyes widened as he saw the girls transform into older fairy-like girls and the boys change into armored warriors. Guardians and Agito. This was just so surreal! He'd heard Hay Lin talking about them but he could've never imagined it.

He then took sight of Hay Lin's Guardian form and blushed. "Wow…" She was gorgeous.

* * *

Shagon and Khor stood flanking Caleb as the team of heroes surrounded Miranda.

"Oh, I'm surrounded, whatever shall I do?" Miranda said sarcastically before laughing. "How about I even the odds?" She took out a black orb that had been hidden in her thick fur and threw it into the air. The orb burst, spilling shadow matter onto the ground. The shadow matter then expanded as the Dark Soldiers rose up. 30 of them stared at the Guardians and Warriors with soulless eyes as they awaited their mistress's command, which she so happily gave, "ATTACK!!" She then turned her sights to the window when she caught a glimpse of Eric. "So, that's Gills' human form. Cute." She then walked over to the building and scaled the wall. Her Dark Soldiers would keep her enemies busy as she went to completing her mission: the elimination of Gills...

Eric could see Miranda climbing up and fast as she scaled the wall towards him. He stumbled backwards before running off. Miranda climbed through the window and saw the boy running. "I love a good chase, but I have a job to do," she hissed before spitting her webbing around his ankles and tripping him. She then started to pull him towards her. He clawed at the floor, screaming for help. Miranda laughed. "Scream all you want, nobody can hear you!"

"Blunk can!" Blunk announced as he suddenly burst out of the trashcan and onto Miranda's face.

"YUCK! GET OFF ME YOU STUPID THING!" Miranda shrieked as she attempted to shake Blunk off. Blunk smooshed some old pudding into her eyes. Blunk then bit down on the web-line holding Eric before tearing off the webbing holding the boy's ankles together. Eric looked at him, curiously.

"Let me guess, Blunk, right?" Eric said, remembering Hay Lin's story. Blink saluted.

"Yes, me friend of girls and since boy is friend of Hay Lin then Blunk help boy too," Blunk said.

"Can't argue with that logic," Eric said as he ran with Blunk. "Let's split!"

Miranda managed to get the disgusting pudding off before seeing Eric and Blunk escaping. She yelled, "No, you don't!" before giving chase. To hell with anonymity, she demanded blood, now!

Blunk and Eric ran like hell was on their heels. With the mood Miranda was in as she crashed through the halls after them, it wasn't too far of a stretch.

"GET BACK HERE!" the shape shifter screeched angrily.

"She think Blunk stupid?" Blunk grunted as he and his new friend kept well ahead of their angry pursuer.

"Like we're going to just let her catch us," Eric nodded.

The terrifying chase continued through the halls. Several patients and nurses screamed in terror as they saw Miranda come crashing through the halls. Strangely, no one seemed to notice Blunk, but they would later recall smelling something foul.

"What do we do?" Eric cried out, still running.

"Why you ask Blunk?" Blunk wheezed as he ran.

"You know this magic stuff better than me!" Eric retorted.

"Blunk know about magic, not do magic!"

"Oh, NOW you tell me!"

* * *

**AGITΏ**


	9. The Knight at the Carnival

**AGITΏ: Warriors of Creation.**

Miranda lunged and smacked Blunk into a wall before she managed to pin a terrified Eric to the floor. Hissing gleefully, she focused her eyes on her prize. "You've given me and my compatriots a lot of trouble, Gills. Now, you'll die!" She unsheathed her claws and pointed them close to Eric's face. "Oh, I am so going to enjoy scratching that face off. I know I'm going to enjoy it when the Air Guardian sees you and cries. Yes…those delicious tears.

Air Guardian. Miranda was talking about Hay Lin. His Hay Lin! He hated seeing Hay Lin cry. Whenever she did, he would try and comfort her.

No…Hay Lin was not going to cry. Not now, not ever.

Miranda reared back her claw and then threw it down to swipe at his face.

Eric's eyes snapped open and were glowing bright green.

* * *

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"

Hay Lin's head shot up in shock at hearing the roar, "Eric!" Her path was being blocked by Dark Soldiers. She narrowed her eyes and yelled, "Out of my way!!" before blowing them away and flying towards the window.

"Where is she going?" asked Flame as he had his swords locked with a Dark Soldier's own. He then kicked it in the stomach before slashing it in half, causing it to fade out of existence. "Ugh!" He gripped his head in pain.

"Great," Shadow groaned, "Eric's other side has just woken up."

"Well, we better take care of these guys before we go and help," said Will. The Dark Soldiers were multiplying and were now double their original number.

"OK, that's a plan," said Cyclone as he started shooting arrow after arrow at the Dark Soldiers. They would fade but then reappear and multiply, "Because I don't think I can last any longer!"

Gaia smashed a Dark Soldier into the ground, creating a crater on impact, "We got to!"

Two blasts of water smashed a group of Dark Soldiers to pieces. "I just hope we don't run out of water," said Aqua.

Cornelia sent Dark Soldiers flying into the wall using telekinesis. "Well, we better finish these things off. I got stuff to settle with Spider-Girl."

"You really don't like her, do you?" questioned Shadow.

"After what she did to Elyon, can you blame her?" said Cyclone, in defense of his crush Elyon. He too wanted to take care of Miranda.

* * *

Hay Lin reached the floor to see Miranda battling against Gills. It would appear that Eric had once again turned into his uncontrollable and feral form and was tearing at Miranda with his claws. Miranda didn't look like she was having the upper hand. In face, she was actually missing one of her hands and a bleeding stump at her wrist remained as she attempted to flee with Gills in tow, chasing after her.

Lucky for Miranda, it was not her gloves hand which had been severed, but against a crazed berserker like this as an opponent, the shape-shifter's chances didn't look too good.

Hay Lin watched as Miranda ran past her and out the window. Gills didn't seem to notice her as he too jumped out the window. Panicking, Hay Lin shouted, "Eric!" before flying after him.

Gills landed in the middle of the battlefield. Miranda had disappeared but now it could see the Guardians and Warriors battling the Dark Soldiers. To him, they were all enemies, but right now his attention was focused on the Dark Soldier army. With a roar, he rushed at them with his wrist blades out and started to slash them savagely.

"Oh, great," Aqua grumbled, "Like we didn't have enough problems. He's here."

"Wait, I think he's here to help," said Irma, though she was unsure of her own words. Even though they knew Gills was Eric, they knew that he would not hesitate to attack any of them.

Gills roared and snarled as his blades sliced the Dark Soldiers in half, straight down the middle or by the waist. It didn't matter to him. He was tearing into them like wild animal. It didn't matter if they had numbers by their side, they would fall. They would fall at the claws of Gills.

In a matter of minutes, Gills, alone, had destroyed the remaining Dark Soldiers. The beastly creature panted with his head down and shoulders heaving. He then stood straight up and threw his head back, roaring. His head dropped down to focus his rage filled eyes at the Warriors and Guardians as well as their allies.

"Get ready," said Caleb, gripping his sword. "He's coming for us." Shagon's eyes glowed, ready to blast the imperfect Agito.

"Wait!" Hay Lin shouted as she stood in front of Gills, facing them with her arms spread out at her sides to protect him. "Please, don't attack him!"

"Hay Lin, Eric or not he's dangerous right now!" Shadow shouted. "Get out of the way!"

"I can reach him, I know it! I did it before!"

"Hay Lin," Taranee bit her lower lip.

"Will, change us back," said Hay Lin.

"Are you crazy?" Will gawked.

"Trust me, please," Hay Lin said pleadingly.

Will sighed, "OK…" She raised up the heart and in a flash the Guardians had turned back to their civilian forms. "There."

Hay Lin turned around to face her transformed boyfriend, "Calm down, OK?" She reached up to touch his face. It felt soft, despite being protective organic armor. "No one is gonna hurt you." Gills cooed against her touch. He liked the feel of her hand against his face. He then kneeled down in front of her. Hay Lin kneeled down too as she gazed into his large green eyes. She had admitted to herself that Gills and Eric were the same. Even if she was looking straight at Gills' monstrous appearance, all she could see was the gentle and sweet Eric who loved shiny things. She then wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her head on his chest. "It's ok. I'm here now."

Gills gently placed his hands on her shoulders. "Hay…Hay Lin…" he managed to let out before he slowly began to change back. The organic armor and horns began to sink back into his skin. The process was painful, true, but he had to bear it, for her. He opened his now human eyes and smiled at her. She smiled back, her braces shining. "Hey, I'm me again," he said in realization. The Agito all reverted back to human form. Shagon turned back to Matt and Khor became Huggles again.

"That, was close," said Matt, wiping the sweat of his brow. Huggles was on his shoulder.

"Tell me about it," agreed Oliver, "I had my crossbow aimed at him the whole time."

"You weren't the only one," said Gerald.

"Although," began Tyler, "How are we going to explain this?" He was referring to the battlefield. The parking lot had been partially ruined with craters and overturned cars.

"I'm not sticking around to find out," said Adrian. "Seriously. I've had enough experience with the law."

"Um, can you take me back to my room?" asked Eric.

"Sure," Hay Lin smiled. "Will?"

"One tele-transportation trip for two coming right up," said Will as she raised up the heart. A light engulfed the couple and sent them away. "OK, now for us." In a flash, the Guardians, Warriors, rebel leader and Regents were gone. Hopefully there weren't any witnesses.

* * *

Miranda returned back to the bookstore, falling out of a black portal in her human form. Cedric saw her arrival and gasped when he saw her injury. "Miranda!" He rushed to her and kneeled down to cradle her. "Miranda! Speak to me!" One of her hands was missing and she was bleeding from the wound. "Damn those guardians!" He stood up and carried her upstairs to treat her wound.

"How touching," Frost snorted.

"_I wouldn't be laughing if I were you, Frost_," growled the Dark Figure. Frost gulped.

"Of course, sir. My apologies."

The Dark Figure sighed. "_Now they have Gills and I suspect they shall help him gain control of his powers. And with Miranda out of commission, things aren't going to be easy._"

"But, Master, wouldn't it be easy to send an entire army of Otiga?" Frost questioned.

"_No,_" the Dark Figure shook his head. "_That will be too many that I will not be able to control. I cannot take that chance._"

Frost muttered, "So, your power is nothing but talk." He then found himself being pinned against the wall by the Dark Figure's hand.

"_Do not mock me, Frost! I can send you back to that prison and not entirely in one piece!_" the Dark Figure threatened before dropping Frost back on his rear. "_No, I need to think of a new approach. Attacking them directly isn't going to help me since the Agito and Guardians are working together. They are too powerful together. The best route is to get each of them alone._" He then questioned Frost, "_Tell me, hunter, are there going to be any special festivals being held?_"

* * *

The days seemed to past quickly with the group of friends and heroes whom defended the infinite dimensions, plus their own. Eric had been officially welcomed into the group and joined them in their after school training sessions under the bridge. Though Eric was trying to control his feral instinct, with Hay Lin's help, he was slowly able to control Gills. However, he still suffered pains whenever he transformed and he could feel his rational mind slipping and being replaced by savage instincts the longer he remained as Gills.

Irma, the school's DJ, could be heard on the school's local radio station, talking about the happenings in the school. Of course, she was assisted by the Grumper Sisters, Martin and, unfortunately, Uriah. Surprisingly, they hadn't killed each other by now.

"OK, Sheffield, if you've all been living under a rock then let me remind you all about the carnival tonight. That's right! Tonight there's going to be a carnival, so if you're ready to waste your allowance on junk food and rides then be there!" Irma spoke.

In the cafeteria, most of the student body heard the announcement.

"Hey, now a carnival sounds like fun," said Gerald, grinning. "Looks like I gotta ask Water Sprite as my date."

"Heh, sounds boring," grumbled Adrian. "I got better things to do."

"No you don't," said Tyler. Adrian stared at him. "I'm your neighbor so I see you in your room through your window a lot. You just lounge around."

"So, you wanna go?" asked Caleb. He had decided to ignore the impending argument between Warriors of Shadow and Earth and concentrate on someone more important, namely his girlfriend.

"Sure," grinned Cornelia.

"Hey, Matt? You wanna go with me?" Will invited. No way was she going to miss an opportunity to have a normal date with Matt.

"Hey, you don't even need to ask," Matt smiled back.

Hay Lin whispered into Eric's ear and the boy smiled widely before nodding.

"OK, this table has gotten way too mushy for me," said Adrian as he picked up his paper bag which contained his lunch. "I'm going to eat outside." He walked off.

"Wow, we should act mushy more often if it gets tall, dark and moody to go away," said Cornelia.

"Cornelia, be nice," Taranee said.

"Well, he is moody," Ian agreed. Taranee stared at her cousin. "Hey, I'm just saying."

"Hey, Oliver," said Hay Lin to her Agito counterpart. "You've been pretty quiet. What's up?" The shortest member of their group was just picking at his mashed potatoes.

"Should I ask Elyon to go as my date?" he asked absently. Everyone looked at him. "What? What did I say?"

"Oh, yeah," Cornelia realized. "Our little wind maker here has a crush on Elyon."

"Which reminds me," said Will. "When is she coming back to school?"

"Well, maybe after summer, when nothing is trying to kidnap her, but you never know," said Cornelia. "I mean, after that thing with Narissa, they may not think Earth is safe anymore."

"Good point," said Will. "The last thing we need is to put Elyon someplace where she's vulnerable, especially with Miranda, Cedric and Frost out."

"Speaking of which, I haven't seen them around," said Taranee. "I mean, the library has been closed for days." She hated it when that happened. "As much as I hate Cedric, he should have the courtesy to come in and open the library."

Oliver sighed and then got off his seat. Matt asked, "Hey, where're you going?"

"I just lost my appetite," said Oliver before he walked off, hands in his pockets.

"What's wrong with him?" asked Eric.

"Eric, Oliver likes likes Elyon," Hay Lin reminded.

"I knew that," he defended.

"The little guy must be lonely. It's been days since he saw Elyon and we haven't gotten that many chances to go to Meridian," Gerald pointed out.

"Well, he does want to see his little girlfriend," Cornelia teased.

* * *

Adrian was sitting at his tree when he saw Oliver coming over and sitting down too. "OK, what's up?"

"Nothing," Oliver sighed.

"Well, buzz off," Adrian ordered. "This is my tree."

"Can we talk?" Oliver requested. Adrian grumbled.

"OK, fine," Adrian sighed. "Since you're not going to leave me alone."

"How do you ask a girl out on a first date?" asked Oliver. "And then when you're on the date, try not to make a fool out of yourself?"

"Kid, do I look like a hopeless romantic to you?" Adrian asked, "Because you're asking the wrong person."

"Well, I can't ask the girls."

"Why not?"

"Because!"

"Because what?"

"I don't know!" Oliver palmed his face. "I'm not sure what Elyon sees in me. I mean, she's a queen! She's royalty! I'm just an artist."

"You're also one of the Warriors of Creation," reminded Andrian, "And don't forget that you did save her life."

"Oh, I remember." Oliver sighed. "But, the carnival's tonight and I'm not sure what to do."

"Just trust your instincts, I guess."

* * *

Back in Meridian, after another meeting with the Royal Council, Elyon was exhausted. She retreated back into her room and fell into her bed. "Right now, I really hate being queen." Her hand went over towards a wooden frame and then she smiled as she gazed at the portrait that Oliver had drawn for her. "Oh, Oliver," she sighed dreamily as she lay on her bed, eyes closed. "My Knight in Shining Armor." This wasn't just some simple crush. She felt like she was falling in love. Oliver was sweet, kind, a bit bashful, and also cute. Plus, he had saved her life, making him her hero. She really wanted to go out on a date with him but a chance hadn't come by.

There was a knock at her door and she sat up, asking, "Who is it?"

"It's me, Caleb," the voice on the other side answered. "Can I come in?"

"Sure," Elyon smiled. The door opened and Caleb came in. "So, how are things on Earth?"

"Well, we got a new member named Gills."

"I see," Elyon nodded. "What else?"

"Well, there's this carnival back in Sheffield and the others were wondering if you'd like to go," Calen informed. "So, whaddya say?"

"As much as I want to, I'm so busy," said Elyon, frowning glumly. "Stupid queen stuff."

"Well, maybe this will change your mind." Caleb reached into his coat and pulled out a letter. "It's from a certain green armored angel."

Hearing this, Elyon leapt off her bed and grabbed the letter. She tore the envelope apart and unfolded the paper, reading it.

_Dear Elyon,_

_Remember me? This is Oliver. Well, there's this carnival and I was wondering if you'd come along. Please, say yes. I mean, I really, really like you and I really, really, REALLY, want to go out with you. Please, give Caleb your answer._

_Signed: Oliver Chase, Agito of the Air._

"So, what will it be?" Caleb asked.

"Tell him my answer is…"

* * *

"She said yes," Caleb reported back to Cornelia when he returned.

"Yes! I knew the forged letter plan would work!" Cornelia cheered. She and Caleb were the only ones under the bridge. The others hadn't arrived yet for training.

"You sure this was a good idea?" asked Caleb uncertainly. "You know how upset she can get."

"As her best friend, it's my duty and responsibility to set her up with the perfect guy," Cornelia stated. "And who's better than Oliver? Besides, this will help them both."

"I hope you're right," Caleb said uncertainly. "So, Hay Lin's going to help too, huh?"

"She's prepping the kid right now."

* * *

"Elyon's coming!?" Oliver shouted out. He was in the basement of the Silver Dragon. He was with Hay Lin and Blunk.

"Right, so that means you gotta look your best and dress to impress the girl of your dreams," Hay Lin told him. "Luckily for you, you got me."

"I don't know…" Oliver said uncertainly. "What if I'm not good enough for her?"

"Listen to me, Oliver," said Hay Lin firmly. "Don't think of Elyon as royalty but as a girl. Just a normal girl and you're just a normal boy, sorta."

Oliver didn't look too convinced. "I don't know…I mean, this is kinda a first for me."

Hay Lin blinked, "You never dated?"

"Most girls aren't interested in a guy my height," he pointed out. "Elyon's like the first person I can look at eye to eye without standing on the tips of my toes or with the help of platform shoes."

"You have platform shoes?"

"That's a long and embarrassing story," Oliver sighed. "So, what am I supposed to do?"

"Well, first we need to go to your house and see what you got to wear. Maybe we can think of good combos."

"OK, whatever you say. Just…I need to warn you about my parents. They're a bit…eccentric."

"All artists are," Hay Lin waved it off with a giggle.

"Not like my parents. Believe me; they are on a whole different level."

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the bookstore, Miranda was still healing. Luckily for her, her beloved Cedric was there. It was a miracle that he hadn't gone to exact his revenge on the Guardians for wounding his love. A bandage was wrapped around the stump where her hand had once been. He knew why he hadn't gone after the Guardians. Miranda needed him more.

Miranda was eating soup with the help of Cedric who was feeding her. She liked the attention. They were like a normal couple like this. Frost would often snort in disgust and their new Master hadn't said much. He just didn't care as long as they did their job.

"Miranda, I heard that there was going to be a carnival tonight," Cedric spoke. "Do you wish to go?"

"I suppose," said Miranda. "But…my hand…"

"_Is no longer a problem_," spoke the Dark Figure as he walked into the room. Cedric stood up.

"Master!" Cedric bowed his head.

"_Here_," the Dark Figure said as he presented Cedric with something. "_I stole a prosthetic hand and used my power to give it life. Attach this to Miranda and she will be as good as new_."

"Thank you," Cedric said, surprised at the Dark Figure's generosity. "How can I ever repay you?"

"_Assist me in taking control of this realm_ _and beyond_," he said simply before vanishing.

Cedric turned to show Miranda the new hand. "Look, Miranda!"

Miranda smiled and then jumped up to kiss Cedric square on the lips.

* * *

Oliver was nervous, really nervous. Hay Lin had come with him to his house and his parents had welcomed her. They did mistake her for his girlfriend, which caused him to blush, but Hay Lin luckily explained to them that she was just a friend, but he knew they weren't entirely convinced.

After about an hour of trying out his clothes, they actually found something that looked good. Now, they were in the Silver Dragon, waiting for the arrival of the Queen of Oliver's heart.

"OK, I'm calm, I'm really calm," said Oliver, dressed in a blue t-shirt with a green jacket and jeans. His hair was still in its usual ponytail and he still had on his normal glasses on. Personally, Hay Lin had though he was adorable. She too was waiting for Eric to come pick her up to go to the carnival.

"Relax, you look great," said Hay Lin. "Trust me."

"I do, but I'm more worried about…" The door then opened and when Oliver saw the people entering, he froze.

Elyon stood as stunning as ever. Though she wasn't in her royal gown, it didn't matter to him. She had on an emerald green spaghetti strap top and maroon skirt that reached down to her knees. She also wore stylish looking black boots, obviously courtesy of Cornelia.

"Hi, Oliver," Elyon greeted, smiling shyly.

Oliver stuttered a bit, not able to say anything intelligible. '_Say something! Say something! Oh, come on!_' He blurted out, "You're gorgeous!" before slapping his hands over his mouth. Elyon heard him and she blushed at the compliment.

Soon, Cornelia, Caleb and Eric came in, but it would be a short while. "Well, what are you waiting for? Let's get to the carnival!" said Eric as he took Hay Lin's hand and walked out.

"You two look so cute together," Cornelia teased her best friend and the Agito of Wind.

"Cornelia," Elyon blushed.

"Oh, I'm your best friend. I'm allowed to tease. Now, come on!"

"Have fun, kids!" Yan Lin and Mirra shouted from the kitchen.

* * *

"What am I even doing here?" Adrian asked himself as he looked over the numerous stands and bright lights.

He looked over and saw his mother hosting one of the stands that were handing out prizes for popping balloons with darts. Apparently, she had volunteered to help out without Adrian's knowledge and had used her 'motherly eyes' to convince him to come help her get the stand up. Now that it was done he could try to leave, but he didn't like the idea of leaving her alone. Never let it be said that he wasn't protective of his family. Of course, she was probably using this as a means of seeing if he had a girlfriend or if any of the girls there seemed interested. It had taken him hours to convince his mother that Will wasn't his girlfriend nor was he interested in her that way.

"Oh, yeah," Adrian grumbled as he remembered. He threw a glare at one of the men who started hitting on his mother. Of course, she flashed her wedding ring before the man walked off in defeat.

Seeing that his mother was okay, Adrian walked over to one of the nearby trees and climbed up before setting himself on a branch. With nothing else to think of, his mind turned to his, despite his attempts otherwise, friends.

Almost all of them seemed to be hooking up with someone or other. Oliver was gooey over Elyon despite being from different worlds, literally. Will was with Matt. Gerald was actively pursuing Irma. Hay Lin had now completely snagged Eric and Taranee was with Nigel. Cornelia was obviously with Caleb. The only ones who weren't looking for someone were Tyler, Ian and himself. Tyler was content with his own company while Ian was busy protecting Taranee. Adrian sealed his heart a long time ago.

Looking for a relationship was pointless to Adrian. Sure, he was content knowing there were others like him, but he doubted anyone wanted a relationship with someone like him. He was too dark. His appearance as an Agito only made that more obvious.

Of course, what Adrian didn't know was that those who didn't believe they deserved a prince or princess in their lives meant they needed one more than most. And they usually got them.

The Agito of Shadows heard tapping against the trunk of the tree and looked down to see his friends, allies and teammates standing around. "Hey, treeboy, mind coming down here?"

Rolling his eyes, Adrian replied, "Okay, fine." He then leapt off the branch and landed in front of them. "OK, now what?"

"Well, this is a carnival," Hay Lin reminded. "Let's have some fun!"

"Fun?" Adrian snorted. "For me fun is when we beat up an Otiga."

"Can we not talk about fighting?" groaned Oliver. "I mean, at least for one night, I want some peace."

"I agree," smiled Elyon, which made Oliver blush. She then saw her old friend, "Hey, Alchemy!"

Alchemy heard Elyon's voice. "Elyon? Oh my god! You're back!"

Elyon dragged Oliver over to meet with Alchemy. The WITCH girls all looked on in amusement.

"Aw, how cute," Hay Lin swooned.

"Should we really leave Oliver alone with Elyon?" asked Eric with some concern. "I mean, what if they end up in danger? You did say Elyon was a target."

"Oh, those two kids will be fine. Elyon isn't completely helpless and neither is Oliver. We don't need to spy on them this time," said Cornelia calmly. She really didn't want to have to spy on her best friend's date. The last time they did, her then boyfriend had dumped her and Elyon ended up in tears. "Anyway, let's go around and have some fun. Come on, Caleb." She dragged Caleb off.

Ian could see Taranee was in good hands with Nigel. "OK, cousin. I'm gonna go look around." He then turned and addressed Nigel, "Oh, Nigel, keep your eye on her."

"You got it, man," Nigel grinned. He was happy that at least someone in Taranee's family wasn;t watching him like he was under a microscope for a change. Not that he blamed the Cook family for their scrutiny.

Taranee giggled good-naturedly. Ian was as protective as ever, but he was being fair to Nigel at least and trusting him.

Soon, only Matt, Will and Adrian were standing together as the others had gone off to do their own thing. Matt questioned, "You spied on Elyon?"

"Long story," Will sighed. "I'll tell you about it later." She asked Adrian, "So, what are you doing here? I thought you weren't interested."

"My mom is running one of the stands. Come on," Adrian said as he jabbed a finger towards his mother's stand.

* * *

After Elyon had explained to Alchemy that she'd been going to school out of town, which was true in an extreme way, and that when she came back she met Oliver. She would only be here for a little while but was happy to see her old friend again.

Oliver, of course, had to suffer some grilling from Alchemy. Obviously, Alchemy regarded herself as Elyon's best friend, much like Cornelia, and well she was doing what she believed as her sacred duty and was interrogating him. He answered her questions, even some of the embarrassing ones, before Elyon saved him by dragging him away.

"That was uncomfortable," said Oliver, pulling at his collar.

"Oh, relax and have fun," Elyon said, smiling and then squeezing his hand. "Now, I think the bumper cars have our names on it."

"I'm there!"

As the couple walked off towards the bumper cars, another couple was watching with keen interest. It was Miranda and Cedric. The shape-shifter girl was chewing on some cotton candy as she watched the Queen of Meridian walking off jovially with Oliver.

"So, Elyon hooked up with an Agito," Miranda admired. "Oh, how revolting," she muttered in disgust.

"Are you going to want to take your revenge on them?" asked Cedric. "Because, if you are, I'm very interested in hearing what you're planning."

"We ambush them in the Hall of Mirrors. You handle that Agito and I'll take care of Elyon."

"I love how you think," Cedric smiled and Miranda smiled back.

* * *

Elyon felt like she was walking on air as she walked next to Oliver while they made their way through the carnival. She felt so nervous being this close to him, especially after he confessed his feelings through that letter. She really wanted to ask him about it, but she didn't want to ruin the moment.

Oliver, on the other hand felt like he was going to have a panic attack. Here he was on a date with a queen! Sure, she was still a girl when you got right down to it, but she was a beautiful queen when you took in the whole picture. He felt so inadequate for her. Adrian said he was a Warrior of Creation, so that might keep any traditionalists in her court off their backs, but he sure didn't feel like one. He just felt like a dorky kid with thick glasses who was lucky enough to go on a date with the prettiest girl on two worlds.

"Hey, look!" Elyon pointed at one of the stands. It was a shooting game. She dragged him towards it without any protest from him. He had to wonder where she got her energy from. Maybe it had something to do with being the Heart of Meridian.

The man running the stand had been eating a corn dog and said, "Three tries for 3 bucks."

Elyon scanned all the prizes, "Oh, Oliver. Can you win me something?" she batted her eyes.

Elyon simply couldn't refuse her. "Sure." He paid and got the rifle. He then aimed and pulled the trigger. Unfortunately he missed the target.

"Two more tries," the man said, holding up two fingers. Oliver frowned. He lined up for another shot and pulled the trigger. "Ooh, missed again."

"Stupid game," Oliver grumbled. He looked towards Elyon and back at the game. He had awesome accuracy as an Agito, but as a human he didn't have much hand-eye coordination. Regardless, he was winning Elyon a prize.

He aimed at the target and he could feel his senses becoming stronger. He then fired.

"We have a winner!" the man announced before reaching for one of the prizes. Elyon pointed at the stuffed bunny, which he grabbed and handed it to Elyon.

"Oh, Oliver!" Elyon gushed before kissing his cheek. His face turned red as he became stiff. "Come on, let's go to the bumper cars."

* * *

Oliver dared not to bump Elyon, so he just satisfied himself by bumping the other ones who were bumping into her. Elyon giggled as he acted overprotective but said it was cute.

Then, they went on the roller coaster and well Oliver seemed hesitant. But, with some convincing from Elyon was able to ride on it. For some reason, he didn't get scared or sick. Though, he attributed it to Elyon's magic. Either way, he was glad he got on with her from the way she was gripping his hand firmly as they went up and down the tracks.

They shared cotton candy and rode on the Ferris Wheel, which Elyon enjoyed the most since she could lean against him. If this happened at the beginning of the date, Oliver would have stiffened but now his nervousness seemed to have vanished as he slung an arm around her shoulders.

To date, for Oliver, this was the best night ever.

* * *

Both Agito of Air and Queen of Meridian eventually stood in front of the Hall of Mirrors. With a smile, Elyon pulled him in with her, "Come on!"

If they'd been paying attention the whole time, they would've noticed another pair entering. An evil pair. Had they been paying attention to their surroundings instead of each other, they might have noticed. As it was, they remained ignorant in their bliss.

In the Hall of Mirrors, the pair looked at their warped reflections before laughing. Elyon then got a really devious smile and Oliver was unsure if he liked the way she was smiling at him. He was up against one of the mirrors when she walked up to him.

"You've been so sweet to me, Oliver," said Elyon, smiling.

"Thank you, Elyon," Oliver said. He could feel his heart beating faster. "You weren't so bad yourself."

Elyon shook her head, "No. Oliver, I've never had much luck in the love department. Before I found out who I was, the last boyfriend I had dumped me."

This shocked the boy, "Why would anyone want to dump you? I mean, you're talented, beautiful, smart, funny and…I'm babbling." He groaned in despair.

Elyon giggled. "You're silly, but maybe that's why I really like you."

"I really like you too," Oliver admitted, albeit shyly.

"And, well, in Meridian I had a lot of suitors too, but when I first met you all I could think about was you."

"Oh?"

Elyon placed her hands on his shoulders. "Look, all I wanna say that, even with our crazy lives, we can find time for a relationship. Who knows, maybe it could lead to something…more." She closed her eyes and puckered her lips. Oliver's eyes widened behind his glasses.

"Elyon…I…I…"

"Oh, how sweet!" sneered Miranda as she walked into view, her reflection on the mirrors. Elyon gasped. "Oh, did I interrupt something?"

"Miranda?" Oliver growled as he stood protectively in front of Elyon. "What are you doing here you filthy spider?"

"Oh, just came to have fun," Miranda said innocently, which was a feat itself due to her past, "And maybe visit some old _friends._"

"Elyon, let's get out of here," said Oliver worriedly. No way Miranda would come alone. He was an Agito and Elyon was the Heart of Meridian. They were both powerful magical beings and Miranda was not the stupid type. Frost and Cedric were probably with her somewhere or a platoon of Otiga and Dark Soldiers. Maybe even both.

"Aw, don't you wanna play?" Miranda pouted. "My love, they don't seem to wanna play."

"How unfortunate," spoke Cedric as he, in his true form, slithered up in the opposite end, towering over them. Hissing, Miranda too assumed her true form. "You're going to miss the party."

Oliver frowned. They were now caught between two very dangerous convicts who were definitely powered up by whoever their mysterious backer was. Even without that, they weren't slouches when it came to fighting. In short, they were dead meat if they didn't have their abilities.

Elyon reached into her powers as the Heart of Meridian and prepared to unleash an attack, "You two really picked the wrong time to mess with me!"

With a flash of energy from her hands, both Miranda and Cedric were trapped inside of force bubbles. The two convicts were caught off guard by the sudden assault. Apparently, Elyon had been improving since they last met.

"That is so cool," Oliver admired. Elyon would have blushed under the praise if she wasn't busy concentrating on the fields. All she had to do now was open a portal to Meridian and drop the two back where they belong.

"Let us out!" Miranda screeched as she beat against her barrier. Cedric was likewise in a fury as he attacked his prison.

As they were struggling to break out, the gloves on their hands began to react. The corrupted symbol of Agito began to pulse before their next punch collided with the barriers. When the charged gloves hit the barriers, the magical constructs shattered like glass, leaving the two criminals free.

"Uh oh," Elyon squeaked in shock as her barriers were broken. When did Miranda and Cedric get so strong?

"Now that wasn't nice," Miranda smirked with her spider-like face.

Oliver was already moving into action. He concentrated on his inner power, the power of his Seed, and summoned his belt to his waist.

"Winds of Agito! Transform!" he called, hitting the sides of his belt and changing into the emerald armored warrior in a flash of light. Elyon watched the changed and felt her breath catch. Her knight now began to show his true colors.

* * *

Around the carnival, the rest of AGITO could feel one of their own using his power. The headaches were mild but it didn't mean that there wasn't going to be big trouble.

Their fears were only confirmed when a loud explosion ripped through the air, coming from the Hall of Mirrors.

* * *

**AGITΏ**


	10. The Chameleon

**AGITΏ: Warriors of Creation.**

"I sure hope Elyon and Oliver are having a good time," spoke Cornelia. She was with Caleb touring the carnival.

"Hey, what's the worst that could happen?" said Caleb nonchalantly.

**BOOM!!!**

At the sound of the sudden explosion, Cornelia gave her boyfriend a deadpan look. "You just had to say that, didn't you?"

"What?" Caleb responded.

The blonde suddenly for a telepathic message from her friend who could wield fire, '_Cornelia, there was an-'_

'_I know, I heard!_' Cornelia responded. '_Caleb and I are gonna go check it out!_'

'_I'm calling the others!_'

'_You do that! Caleb and I are going to take a closer look!_'

* * *

"Ugh," Adrian groaned as he held his head.

"Hey, are you okay?" asked Matt.

"If having a splitting headache means I'm okay, then yeah," Adrian responded sarcastically.

Matt was offended by the tone of voice, "Hey, man, I was just…"

"Guys, we got trouble," said Will as she saw the pillar of smoke rising.

"I think one of us just transformed too," said Adrian.

"How do you-?" Matt began as Adrian tapped his forehead. "Oh."

"Well, who is it?" Will asked.

"Here's a hint," spoke, "Look up in the sky."

Will did and she saw a familiar green armoured Agito with his wings spread and Elyon in his arms. He was also gathering the attention of several spectators but what was worrisome were the purple beams flying at the green Agito of Wind.

"Oliver!" Will cried, "And Elyon!"

* * *

Cornelia and Caleb were at the scene and they were seeing Cyclone Agito dodging several beams of purple energy while holding Elyon protectively in his arms. They watched as one of the beams struck Cyclone's wings and he looked like he was about to fall when he managed to recover quickly.

They then saw who were firing at the green Warrior of Creation ad Queen of Meridian. One looked like a large hairball and the other was a slimy serpent. The Hall of Mirrors had been completely destroyed and the two beasts were responsible for it. Obviously, they'd thought they could catch Oliver and Elyon alone but now they were gathering some unwanted attention. Cornelia groaned as she saw some of the spectators taking pictures. They thought this was some sort of show.

"Caleb, you gotta get these people away," instructed Cornelia.

"What about you?" asked Caleb. He didn't have a weapon on him at the moment.

"I'm gonna exercise my green thumbs," grinned Cornelia as she activated her powers.

* * *

"That can't be good," muttered Ian as he saw the smoke while clutching his head.

"Ian!" shouted Taranee as Nigel ran alongside her.

"Taranee!" cried Ian. "Do you know what's going on?"

"Trouble with a capital T," the girl responded.

"Mind telling me what's going on?" Nigel panted.

"Long story," said Taranee apologetically.

"It's always a long story," Nigel rolled his eyes.

"Nigel…"

"It's OK," he said to her reassuringly. "Go do what you need to do. I'll wait right here." Taranee kissed his cheek, causing him to blush.

"Thanks," said Taranee. She wanted too much to tell him her secret but there was so much as stake. "Ian, let's go."

"OK, cuz," Ian nodded as he and Taranee ran to find their friends.

* * *

Irma was with Gerald the whole time when they heard the explosion. He'd just won her a large stuffed bear at one of the stands when the loud boom was heard. Suddenly, Gerald clutched his head and groaned in pain. Irma knew what that meant. It was either an Otiga awakening or someone had just transformed. That was how the Agito could sense each other.

"Damn it," Gerald cursed. "I hate this."

"Looks like we're needed," said Irma. She became quiet for a few seconds. "Taranee's telling us all to rally."

"OK," nodded Gerald. He grumbled, "I am going to need a lot of aspirin after this."

* * *

Hay Lin gasped as Eric fell to his knees, clutching his head in pain. She could see a few veins pulsing on his forehead and she knew that this was no normal headache. "Eric!" she cried.

"Ugh…it wants out, Hay Lin," he managed to say as the pulsing intensified. "It wants…to fight…" Hay Lin what he as referring to. Gills. Gills wanted to come out and face this power.

"Eric, breathe and calm down," she said as she knelt down and embraced him from behind, her head against his back. "Calm down…"

Somehow, the close contact and the sound of her voice comforted the boy. The pulsations lessened as his breathing eased. "Thanks, Hay Lin." He stood up with her, holding her hand.

She beamed, "No problem. Now we have to find out where you sensed-"

**BOOM!!!**

Hay Lin jumped when she heard the explosion and into Eric's arms.

"I'm guessing it's over there," Eric pointed.

"Let's go!"

* * *

Tyler was just walking around alone when he sensed the familiar energy. Unlike the others he could endure the pain but it still showed as he gritted his teeth. "Damn it. It looks like tonight isn't going to be peaceful after all."

* * *

It was difficult for Cyclone to fight with Elyon in his arms, who insisted that she could fight, but he wasn't taking any chances. Something about those gloves was weird and he didn't like it. Cedric and Miranda were still blasting at the pair and weren't going to give up. And even if the Guardians and their allies did appear, they couldn't protect these stupid humans while fighting them at the same time.

Suddenly, vines exploded from the ground and ensnared the evil couple, binding their wrists. Some vines coiled around Cedric's body and then pulled him down to the ground. The same veins were also pulling Miranda to the ground as well.

Cornelia smirked as she concentrated while Caleb did some crowd control. Without Will they couldn't cast a glamour and it was already too late for one. Elyon could cast one but right now the young queen was in no position to do anything as Cyclone held her protectively.

Cyclone landed close to Cornelia and put Elyon down. Instead of looking grateful, Elyon looked furious. "What?" Cyclone responded.

"You should've put me down," she countered.

"I didn't want you getting hurt!" he retorted.

"I got powers too!" she protested.

"You saw what they did to your barrier!" Cyclone shouted.

Cornelia whistled, drawing their attention. "Guys! We got bigger problems right now!" She pointed at Cedric and Miranda whose bodies were staring to glow and eerie purple color. The two beings snapped the vines and Cedric roared. He aimed at the spectators without a care.

"NO!" shouted Cyclone as he summoned his crossbow but before he could fire, a blast of flames hit Cedric square in the chest and sent then serpent-man reeling. Cyclone turned towards where the fireball had come from and smiled under his helmet as he saw the other four Agito entering the scene.

"We'll tell them it's a live show," said Cornelia. "Now, you go!"

Cyclone nodded and eyed Elyon for a second who wouldn't make eye contact. Sighing, he went to join their friends.

"This is awesome!" shouted Martin as he took pictures. "It's like one of those live tokusatsu shows in Japan!" Just like a nerd to like such things. "It looks so real!"

Irma, who was standing next to her nerdy friend, could only sigh. Adrian had told Will to tell all of them NOT to fight Cedric and Miranda. Unlike WITCH, AGITO had masks.

Shadow leapt over a tail strike and then lunged at Cedric, punching him across the face. Miranda spat webbing at Shadow but they were burnt by Flame's fireballs. She was then sent skidding backwards by a water blast from Aqua. Gaia charged at her with his hammer raised and slammed it down but she managed to avoid being flattened into a pancake by dodging to the side. She then fired a purple blast of energy at him, sending him falling backwards. Satisfied, the monstrous girl set her eyes on the green Agito who was shooting at Cedric. She tilted up her back and fired several sharp hairs at Cyclone.

"LOOK OUT!" Elyon cried but she was too late as Cyclone spun around just as the sharp hairs pierced through his armor like needles.

"ARG!" he screamed.

Eric was with Hay Lin, breathing hard as he was forced to watch. His fists were clenched and his fingers dug into his palms. His teeth were gritted with a wild look in his eyes as sweat poured down his face. Gills' instincts were trying to get him to fight but he couldn't transform, not with all these people and he still had trouble controlling his alter-ego, even with Hay Lin's help.

Cyclone glared at Miranda and fired at her with several energy arrows, which she dodged. She scurried straight towards him with her claws out to slash at him. She lunged and slashed him across the chest. The other Agito were too busy fighting Cedric leacing the green one all to herself. She wanted to make Elyon suffer by killing the boy she loved. Though Elyon had power, it was useless since she couldn't risk exposing herself. This just made it all that sweeter for the spider-girl.

Miranda went for another swipe but then Cycline grabbed her wrist before shooting into the sky. She screamed as he rocketed skyward and then he stopped. His wings were spread s he hovered in the air…about 500 feet in the air. Now Miranda was panicking.

"You wouldn't dare!" shouted Miranda.

"Try me," growled Cyclone. "You tried to kill Elyon, so why should I grant you any mercy?"

Miranda had no answer and even if she couldn't see his eyes, she knew he was angry and wanted her to pay for all the pain she'd caused Elyon.

"Give me one good reason not to turn you into street pizza," said Cyclone coldly.

"Because you're not a murderer!" shouted Miranda.

"There's always a first time," said Cyclone as his eyes darkened. It would be so easy to let Miranda go. If she even attacked him, she would end up falling herself. Still…could he really do it? Could he kill his enemy? Mirada did deserve this, right?

Then he heard Elyon's voice in his mind. '_Oliver, I really like you. You're so sweet and kind._'

He was no murderer but that didn't mean he couldn't punish her some other way. He then poised himself and went into a nosedive with Miranda in his grasp.

"ARRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!" screamed Miranda, catching Cedric's attention.

"Miranda!" Cedric cried, horrified. The other Agito looked up to see Cyclone coming down real fast.

"Is he nuts!?" shouted Shadow.

"I think we're about to see," spoke Flame.

"Oh, man!" Aqua cried. "Take cover!"

The four Agito fell back as Cyclone came closer and then he tossed Miranda at Cedric. Cedric caught Miranda but recoiled from the hard impact. He ignored the pain, glad that his beloved was alright.

"HAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" Cyclone shouted as he stretched out both his legs, his horns spread out as a green Symbol of Agito appeared at his feet before it was absorbed. He started to spin like a drill and slammed into Cedric's stomach, sending him flying across the ground and into a wall, making a crater on impact. Cyclone landed on one knee, folded up his wings and panted.

Cedric groaned in pain. Still holding Miranda, he glared hatefully at AGITO, his eyes on the green one the longest. "This…isn't…over…" he hissed. He summoned the power of his Master and a purple aura engulfed both Cedric and Miranda. They then both faded away as they escaped.

* * *

The group was now sitting at several outdoor tables. Well, Taranee wasn't there as she'd gone to look for Nigel, leaving the others to talk about what'd happened. After the battle, AGITO managed to slip away from the crowd.

"This is so going to end up on YouTube," said Gerald as he sipped an orange smoothie.

"Just be glad that they all think it was part of the show," said Adrian.

"Thank goodness for small miracles," said Will.

Both Oliver and Elyon were oddly quiet. They were sitting next to each other but not looking at each other. Cornelia wanted to say something but Caleb shook his head, silently telling her not to. Meddling would just make things worse. The two had to take care of this on their own.

"Oliver," Elyon finally spoke. Oliver turned to look at her. "Let's go someplace where we can talk, OK?"

Oliver swallowed a lump in his throat. "O…OK," he nodded. She got up and he got up after her, following with his head down.

"I sense some pretty bad vibes," Tyler frowned.

"Hope they'll be okay," said Hay Lin. "I mean they were having fun before all this."

"The heart is both strong and fragile," quoted Tyler sagely. "Whatever happens will either strengthened theirs or crush them."

"Thank you, Confucius," said Adrian cynically.

* * *

Elyon led Oliver over to a place with almost no people around. She wanted to talk to him about before.

"Oliver," spoke Elyon.

"I'm sorry," he apologized.

"Excuse me?" Elyon blinked.

"I'm sorry about before, for thinking you're weak. You're the Heart of Meridian, so you're very strong, probably stronger than me." Oliver decided to apologize quickly. His father always gave in to his mother once he realised he was wrong.

"Oliver…" Elyon's gaze softened. "Don't apologize for trying to protect me."

"But still…" He stopped when she wrapped her arms around his waist, her chin resting on his shoulder. "Elyon?"

"I'm sorry for snapping at you," she apologized also. His hands went to return her embrace. He liked this contact. She pulled away, "But you need to stop treating me like I'm going to break."

"I can't help it," he said seriously. "I mean after all you've been through, I just can't help it." He confessed, "I really like you, Elyon." He blushed as soon as the words escaped his mouth.

Elyon blushed too. She really did like Oliver and Oliver had told her that he did too, but never this strongly. The tone of his voice was firm and unwavering when he said those words.

She leaned in closer and softly kissed his lips. It was just a small peck but Oliver's lips tingled at the brief contact. His face gained a full blown red blush as he stared at Elyon who smiled sweetly at him. '_My first kiss!_'

"Consider that a reward, Agito of the Wind," Elyon said, "My knight in shining armour."

Oliver felt like he was about to faint.

* * *

Back at the bookstore, Cedric and Miranda were in human form and tending to their wounds from the battle. Frost sneered, "Heh, you two are pathetic."

"Bite me, Frost!" snapped Miranda with a hiss.

"You've failed too, remember?" reminded Cedric.

"_Enough!_" a dark voice roared.

The Dark Figure came into their presence, silencing them. He was silent as he took in the forms of his defeated minions. A soft growling noise echoed in his throat as he took in their image.

"_The fact remains is that you both lost_," he growled. "_Ever since I got you out, I have seen failure after failure. Perhaps I should have left you all to rot in those prison cells!_"

"No!" Cedric cried, clutching Miranda protectively. "It's just there's so much about the Agito we don't know! If we knew more about them then we might be able to do better!"

"Yes!" Miranda nodded. "Knowledge is power and all that."

The Dark Figure pondered the words his minions had been saying. Knowledge was indeed power. The reason they had fought so well against the Guardians was because they were just as experienced in magic as the Guardians themselves. Agito were beyond what most considered magic. They were life and evolution put in an entity. Of course the magically inclined would struggle with them. The Guardians had struggled with his Otiga until the Agito began to assist them.

"_You want knowledge?_" the Dark Figure. "_You want experience? Then I suppose I can grant that._"

"How?" asked Frost.

"_The first phase will need an Otiga_," the Dark Figure chuckled. "_A very…special Otiga._"

* * *

The carnival still continued, despite the wrecked Hall of Mirrors, and Oliver and Elyon were able to enjoy their date. Elyon wasn't going tell Cornelia about the kiss she'd given Oliver since it would mean endless teasing.

Oliver really couldn't believe he was with a queen right now but then again he couldn't believe he was one of the Warriors of Creation either. He was just a short teenager with bad eyesight and a fondness for art. He then remembered that Elyon grew up in Heatherfield and she'd been a normal kid up until she discovered her true identity.

He had to remember that Elyon was powerful. As the Heart of Meridian, she had the power to match all five Guardians combined, probably even more, and yet he couldn't help but protect her. She was precious to him.

Elyon on the other hand was having the time of the life. With the exception of the attempt on her life before, the night was perfect. Here she was with a boy she liked and the feeling was mutual. Oliver was kind, sweet, talented and not to mention cute. Still he was a bit overprotective of her and she hated feeling helpless. She wasn't weak but she had been captured despite her power so she wasn't invincible. Though her guards protected her because she was the queen and her adopted parents loved her, Elyon just wanted at least one night to be normal. She was a young queen and the job itself was stressful. Also, it was said that she would need to find a suitor, preferably of noble blood, to be her king. In truth, she just wanted to live a carefree teenage life before settling down to marriage. She was only 14 years old. Too young to even think of marriage anyway and she wanted to fall in love.

'_And I think I have_,' Elyon mused as she glanced at Oliver. She was really starting to fall for the boy. He had so many positive qualities. Oliver too was starting to fall for Elyon as well. She was beautiful, strong, intelligent and kind-hearted. The power she had would intimidate some boys, but not the green Agito.

They finally rejoined their group. It was late and it was time for Elyon to go.

"I really had a great time," Elyon said to Oliver, smiling warmly.

"Same here," Oliver replied shyly, rubbing the back of his head.

"Hey, how about a picture?" suggested Martin who'd come to try his luck at wooing Irma but was once again shot down. He was still a friend but he was not one to give up.

"Sounds good to me," said Hay Lin cheerfully.

"Do we have to…?" Adrian muttered.

"Let's just get it over with," said Tyler.

The group stood together, the girls with their boyfriends, and Ian joined them too, with Taranee between himself and Nigel. Adrian stood to Will's right as Matt took her left, holding her hand. Gerald and Irma weren't official but time would tell. Martin backed away a bit to get them all in frame before taking the picture.

* * *

Later that night, Martin was tacking stock of all his film and checking to see if he had room in his books for them or if he needed to buy more. Of course, by going through his photos, he found the pictures of the 'live performance' that had everyone talking for the rest of the night. Martin thought he was so lucky to view something like that. He had been flashing pictures of the whole thing. The effects had been so realistic. He had no idea how they did it, but he certainly wasn't complaining.

"Oh man," he sighed happily. "I'll never forget this for as long as I live."

"_That's good,_" a voice hissed from behind. "_Because that won't be for much longer._"

"Huh?" Martin blinked before he turned to see what had been speaking to him. His entire view was filled with a glowing purple hand. "AHHHHHHHH!!!"

* * *

As the day began anew and school rolled by, Irma joined her friends on their way to class after the morning announcements on the radio.

"Martin has been acting a little weird today," Irma said to Taranee.

"A _little_ weird?" said Taranee sceptically.

"OK, weirder than usual," Irma clarified. "He didn't even try one of his lame pickup lines. He just stayed perfectly quiet the whole time."

"Maybe he's got a sore throat?" suggested Hay Lin.

"Maybe…but it's like he's a whole different person. Anyway, a lot of people are talking about what happened yesterday."

"That can't be good," Taranee frowned.

"And there was a forum on it too," said Irma.

"A web forum, right?" said Hay Lin.

"A lot of geeks spend their time on it and I read a very interesting entry," said Irma. "About something similar that happened in Japan a couple of years back."

Hay Lin and Taranee now seemed really interested. This was news.

"Are you thinking…Agito?" said Taranee.

"Maybe," Irma shrugged. "Who knows? But the Oracle said that there were others before our boys."

"Let's just get to class before we're late," said Hay Lin. "We can talk about this later."

* * *

Later, at lunch, the group met at the cafeteria. Miranda and Cedric were also having their lunch together, glaring daggers at the group of Guardians and Agito with their allies and friends. The two shape-shifters weren't going to make a move right now but the heroes were a little wary. Still, the two weren't going to try anything after last night. They still needed to lick their wounds.

"Japan?" Adrian quirked an eyebrow. "Are you serious?"

"As serious as I can be," Irma responded. "It was something about similar incidents in Japan, particularly Tokyo. Something about Unknowns."

"Weird name," said Gerald.

"It was the police's codename for strange unidentified creatures," explained Irma. "Maybe these were the Lords."

"Maybe, but what does it say about an Agito?" asked Ian, interested to know more.

Before Irma could say anything, she saw Uriah and his gang surrounding Martin. "Oh…no…"

"Those bullies again, I see," frowned Tyler.

"Let me at them," Adrian cracked his fists.

Before any of them could act, it was Martin who did something amazing. He grabbed Uriah by the front of his shirt and tossed him across the floor. He then elbowed the second bully in the stomach, causing him to double over. Gripping the back of his shirt, Martin tossed the winded bully into the last man standing. Both of them crashed to the ground with a loud thud.

Everyone in the cafeteria was silent as they watched Martin walk away.

"When did Martin get replaced by a cyborg?" asked Hay Lin incredulously.

"That…can't be Martin," Irma blinked.

"Sure looked like him," Taranee blinked.

"Something's up," Adrian frowned. He was going to get into the bottom of this.

* * *

Martin was walking down the hallway. As soon as people saw him they started to whisper, probably about the incident back in the cafeteria. Adrian was following after him, following a hunch he had.

"Yo, Martin," he called. Martin didn't seem to hear him. "Hey, I'm talking to you." Still Martin went on. Adrian jogged up to him and grabbed him by the shoulder. "Hey, M-"

It's happened so quickly but someone Martin had grabbed onto Adrian's hand, bent his body forward and then flipped Adrian over his shoulder before slamming him hard onto the floor. Adrian managed to get a glimpse at Martin's face despite the pain and saw the empty, near lifeless, look in his eyes. Martin then walked away without a word as Adrian pushed himself up into a sitting position. His shoulder aches and both his head and back hurt from the hard impact with the floor. He muttered, "Something is definitely up." He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked over to see the boy who became Gills give him a look of concern.

"Hey, you okay?" asked Eric as he gave Adrian a hand and pulled him up.

"A bit sore, but I've had worse," stated Adrian. In his Agito form he'd taken some heavier hits to the body that would be life threatening to normal humans, but Adrian was no normal human.

"You sure you don't need to go to the nurse's office?" inquired Eric. Adrian's eyes were focused on Martin's retreating form. "Adrian?"

"I think we've just got ourselves another Otiga," said Adrian.

* * *

"Martin? An Otiga?" Will gasped as she, Matt and Adrian headed towards their next class together. Irma was still doing her DJ gig before the bell for class rang. "Are you serious?"

"Change of personality, how he was able to beat up Uriah and his gang," Adrian began to list.

"How he flipped you onto your back," grinned Matt, amused.

"Oh, you must be loving that," Adrian gave a glare before he continued, "What I'm saying is that the guy making these Otiga has turned Martin. I know he's your friend and all but we still need to…"

"I know," Will agreed. "After school we should follow him and get him alone. Then when he changes you guys can purify him."

"Sounds like a plan," Adrian grinned as he opened the door for Will. "Ladies first."

"Thanks," Will smiled as she entered, followed by Matt and then Adrian went in after them.

* * *

The message had been passed onto the rest of the Guardians and Warriors. A small group of them were going to tail Martin while the rest remained hidden to follow from afar. Luckily for them Hay Lin could turn invisible so she could act as backup. Eric too volunteered but with the untamed nature of his power Hay Lin would have to stick close to the boy.

Taranee would maintain communication between the members of WITCH and AGITO. She'd learnt to communicate with the Warriors by practicing with her cousin Ian. Also, Irma was going to part of the group tailing Martin. Hopefully she could stop him since he was so infatuated with him though Adrian and Tyler had their doubts. Gerald kept stating that the 'power of love' was powerful gaining his disbelieving looks from Adrian and Tyler who were both pessimistic and logical, respectively.

The final bell rang and Martin was out of school, making his way to the gate before walking straight home.

The ones making part of the group to tail him would be Irma, Hay Lin, Ian, Eric, Adrian, Tyler and Gerald. Will had herself, Cornelia and Taranee transform into their Guardian forms to follow from the air. Oliver was in his Cyclone Agito form while Matt was Shagon, following from the air as well. Caleb was good at keeping himself hidden so he would follow Martin as well. Tyler would be with Caleb and Ian too.

Cyclone groaned a bit as he touched his head with Cornelia flying next to him. "Hey, you okay?"

"I just have a headache," he told her. The boys of AGITO knew well not to ignore those headaches. That was how they could tell if either an Agito was close by or one of those Otiga.

"Because of Martin?" she inquired.

"Could be," he said as he looked down at the boy. "I just have a sense of foreboding. Do you get those?"

"A little," she shrugged. "So, mind telling me what else happened on your date with Elyon?"

"Now's not the time, Cornelia," reminded Will.

"OK, sorry, but this is boring and I wanted to make conversation and-"

'_He's gone!_' Taranee's voice suddenly yelled in their heads.

"Taranee," groaned Shagon. "We're right here. You don't have to yell into our heads."

"And what do you mean he's gone?" asked Will.

"I saw him go around the corner but then a roof blocked him from sight and he's just…gone," she told them. She communicated to the others on the ground, '_You see him?_'

'_No, we lost him_,' replied Hay Lin.

Back on the ground they were looking around for Martin who just vanished. "Where did the skinny nerd go?" asked Adrian, gritting his teeth. If Martin was an Otiga, he was going to enjoy beating him up for what he did earlier.

"Hey, only I get to call him that!" snapped Irma angrily.

"As interesting as this conversation is, we have to focus more on where he could be right now!" informed Gerald.

Eric suddenly fell to his knees, clutching his throbbing head. "Eric!" Hay Lin gasped as she helped him up, his arm around her shoulders as she wrapped an arm behind his back. "What's wrong?"

His eyes flashed, "Martin…he's…" he struggled to say, while groaning and clutching his head.

"Martin's what?" she asked.

"He's here!" he shouted.

Suddenly, Adrian was knocked back by an invisible force that sent him tumbling into Gerald. They both fell to the floor with Adrian on top of the Agito of Water.

"Get off me!" Gerald shoved Adrian off and sat up.

"What hit me?" Adrian asked.

"Martin…" Eric growled as 'Martin' came into visibility…in his new form.

This new Otiga was a chameleon-themed beast. It had scaly green skin with a chameleon head. The eyes were bulbous and were moving in all directions. Silver shoulder armor rested on his shoulders while thick ropes were wrapped around his forearms. More ropes were wrapped around his torso while the dull crystal belt of the Otiga was wrapped around his waist. A coiled tail came out of his back while metal boots were on his feet.

"I hate being right all the time," Adrian growled. Getting up, he summoned his belt. "Shadows of Agito…"

"Waters of Agito…"

"Fires of Agito…

"Grounds of Agito…"

"Guardians unite!" Will cried as she held the Heart of Kandrakar up for her remaining friends to transform.

"Transform!" the boys cried.

Eric held his head again in sheer pain. There was no denying what Gills wanted now. Even though Hay Lin was there, she was going to fight along with the others. The beast within wouldn't have any of that. It would not stand back while its mate went to risk her life.

"Curse of Gills," Eric growled as he crossed his arms in front of himself. "Awaken!"

The beast was released. Eric's entire body shifted as his body changed to that of Gills. It was a quick process, allowing Gills to take the reins rather quickly. The red beast quickly took stock of the situation.

One of the dark beings was facing off against his mate and her pack, the male pack, and himself. He now knew that none of them were his enemies, but that didn't mean that he would be denied this battle.


End file.
